Our family lawyer has given a fee estimate £1150 for no sale no fee conveyancing in Canvey Island. I am selling a Edwardian house for £125,000. This appears too much. Is it in excess of the average fee for conveyancing in Canvey Island?

The costs illustration is slightly on the steep side. Where you are happy to expend time scrutinising costs you might shave off some of the cost by perhaps a hundred pounds. On the other hand, you maylive to regret opting for an an untested solicitor. Don't forget to check that the solicitor can also act for your mortgage company. You can employ our search tool to find a Canvey Island conveyancing practice on the lender’s approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Canvey Island.

Me and my partner are due to exchange on the purchase of a house in Canvey Island but as a result of damage from some water damage at the property I have was able negotiate recompense from the owner of £3k in the form of a reduction in the price. I had intended this to be addressed as part of amending the contract yet Clydesdale are not allowing this. Why were they informed?

The property lawyer that is on a Clydesdale approved list is obliged to advise Clydesdale of any changes to the purchase price. If you prohibit your solicitor to report the price change to Clydesdale then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Clydesdale and you would have to appoint a new conveyancer for your conveyancing in Canvey Island.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Principality, do Canvey Island conveyancing practitioners have to pay a yearly amount to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any lender fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

We had appointed solicitors locally in Canvey Island on the Principality solicitor approved list. They are now charging me an additional sum for the legal aspects of the Principality mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Principality?

As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your solicitor can levy a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Principality but by your Canvey Island conveyancing practitioner. Numerous firms on the Principality panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.

Having digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Canvey Island solicitor - who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Clydesdale will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Clydesdale 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 conveyancing practitioner 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 Canvey Island postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Clydesdale, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Canvey Island.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Canvey Island. Conveyancing is necessary evil 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.

Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Canvey Island

Please supply a car parking plan. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Canvey Island is where the house is located. Can you offer any opinion?

Flying freeholds in Canvey Island are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Canvey Island you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Canvey Island may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.