Due to complete my purchase in Cheshire next Tuesday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the lender. What does the insurance need to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for banks would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. These obligations are not specific to conveyancing in Cheshire.

I used Wolstenholmes a few years past for my conveyancing in Cheshire. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Cheshire of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in Cheshire. Conveyancing is a frightening process 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.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Cheshire

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. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. 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.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and identified one close by in Cheshire I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Cheshire for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

Expecting to exchange soon on a basement flat in Cheshire. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Cheshire should include some of the following:

You should know if the lease allows you to alter or upgrade aspects of the premises- you must be made aware as to whether any restrictions applies to all alterations or limited to structural alteration, and whether consent is required Responsibility to repair and maintain the building. It is essential for you to know which party is duty bound to repair and maintenance of all parts of the block and estate Ground rent - how much and when is collected, and be on notice if this will change in the future Details of the parties to the lease, e.g. these could be the leaseholder, superior lessor, landlord Additions to the flat

Leasehold Conveyancing in Cheshire - Sample of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

Who are the managing agents? How many years remain on the lease? Are there any major works anticipated that will increase the service costs?