My wife and I are purchasing a new build apartment in Broadstairs and my solicitor is telling me that she is duty bound to the lender to reveal incentives from the developer. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to exchange contracts and I don't want to prolong deal. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your . A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

Can I be sure that the Broadstairs conveyancing solicitor on the panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Broadstairs seeking recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always suggest that you speak with the lawyer carrying out your transaction.

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Broadstairs. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their . I paid an on account payment of £175. Not long after, the called me to say that they were not on the conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

have agreed my mortgage in principle, my bid on a house in Broadstairs has been agreed to, now what?

Your property agent will wish to know who your solicitors are (make sure the are on the bank’s approved list). Call up or the financial adviser and complete any relevant forms. will instruct a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or vendor to book a time for the valuation to occur. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. will issue the offer to you and your . The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Broadstairs.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Broadstairs?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Broadstairs. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am buying a new build apartment in Broadstairs. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Broadstairs

Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared.

Jane (my partner) and I may need to let out our Broadstairs 1st floor flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Broadstairs conveyancing firm in 2003 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Broadstairs conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can review your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the premises. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to obtain consent from your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of prior permission. Such consent must not not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I invested in buying a 2 bed flat in Broadstairs, conveyancing was carried out 1995. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Broadstairs with a long lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 50

With only 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £36,100 and £41,800 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.