Just contacted my conveyancing solicitor in Bolton who completed the legal work 18 months ago and wanted a conveyancing estimate based on the same type of house sale & purchase (a leasehold premises and a freehold property) of similar values with a loan from Alliance & Leicester . I am now being charged double. Stick with what I know or do I try and find a cheaper internet conveyancer?

The estimate does seem a tad on the high side. If you you were to look around you may be able to get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by as much as a hundred pounds. On the other hand, providing that you were pleased with the assistance the firm offered you maylive to regret opting for an an untested solicitor. Remember to enquire that the conveyancer can also act for Alliance & Leicester . Do utilise our search tool to find a Bolton conveyancing firm on the Alliance & Leicester approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Bolton.

I have paid off my mortgage with Lloyds. I assume I don't need a Bolton conveyancer on the Lloyds panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Lloyds mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Lloyds mortgage from the register. Lloyds, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Lloyds has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Lloyds has instructed the Land Registry to do so

It is unclear whether my lender requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Bolton bank branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Bolton conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they would not lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I have no idea who is right.

Your conveyancer must follow the CML Handbook section two provisions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I have instructed a Bolton conveyancer having checked that they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Virgin Money will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Virgin Money will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Bolton postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Bolton.

My wife and I have a 4 bedroom Georgian property in Bolton. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and HSBC Bank. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Bolton and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who carried out the work.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Bolton. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Bolton

The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.

Hoping to buy a property located in Bolton and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Bolton. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Bolton area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Bolton. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found