We're in Chalfont St Giles, First timers buying with a mortgage (lender is Leeds Building Society , and our lawyer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

Do I choose a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Chalfont St Giles?

There are two types of lawyers who can carry out conveyancing in Chalfont St Giles namely CLC regulated conveyancers or solicitors. The two can handle conveyancing services that you need to complete the sale or purchase of property. They are both obliged to execute Chalfont St Giles conveyancing to the same standards and guidelines so you can be sure that your conveyancing will be professionally conducted and that all requirements and procedures will be accurately attended to.

My stepmother advised me that in buying a property in Chalfont St Giles there may be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external alterations to a property. Is this right?

There are a number of properties in Chalfont St Giles which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Chalfont St Giles should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

Is it correct that all Chalfont St Giles CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel?

It is true that some banks and building societies now make use of CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their approved list of firms.

My wife and I purchased a 4 bedroom Georgian property in Chalfont St Giles. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Nottingham Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for 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 Chalfont St Giles and other locations in 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 check the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.

I am purchasing my first flat in Chalfont St Giles benefiting from help to buy. The builders would not budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative suggested that I not to tell my lawyer about this side-deal as it could adversely affect my mortgage with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Chalfont St Giles what are the most common lease problems?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Chalfont St Giles. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain clauses are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Birmingham Midshires, Barnsley Building Society, and TSB all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to pull out.

I bought a split level flat in Chalfont St Giles, conveyancing was carried out April 2007. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Chalfont St Giles with over 90 years remaining are worth £176,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2105

With just 80 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.