When it comes to lenders such as UBS, do Breaston conveyancers face a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are not aware of any bank fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

Is it the case that all Breaston solicitor practices on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the SRA. Many banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be overseen by the CLC.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Breaston off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Yorkshire BS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Yorkshire BS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel.

How does conveyancing in Breaston differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Breaston approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because house builders in Breaston typically purchase the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Breaston or who has acted in the same development.

As co-executor for the estate of my grandmother I am disposing of a house in Cardiff but live in Breaston. My lawyer (based 260 miles awayhas requested that I sign a stat dec ahead of the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Breaston to witness this legal document for me?

strictly speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are located in Breaston

I am employed by a long established estate agent office in Breaston where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have received contradictory information from local Breaston conveyancing solicitors. Can you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I acquired a leasehold flat in Breaston, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2001. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Breaston with over 90 years remaining are worth £191,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2077

You have 53 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.

Is planning permission necessary to change a single dwelling into a couple of flats in Breaston? This has been carried out to a property opposite to my house in Breaston and was not aware of it happening until the works were complete.

Planning consent is necessary for splitting a single dwelling in Breaston into apartments but probably not for converting back to single dwelling-house so, simply put, yes,a it is needed.