I am acquiring a property without a mortgage in Chester. I have lived for the previous dozen years in Chester. Conveyancing searches are expensive. As I know the road and vicinity very well should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

In the absence of a mortgage, then all but one or two of the Chester conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your conveyancer will try and steer you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches done, but she is duty bound to do this. One thing to take into account; if you are going to dispose of the house one day, it will likely be be of relevance to your future purchaser what the searches disclose. Sometimes properties with functional issues can still throw up unpredicted search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Chester should provide you some constructive advice here.

As someone clueless as to conveyancing in Chester what is the number one tip you can give me for the house moving process in Chester

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Chester or throughout England and Wales is an adversarial process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists lots of opportunity for friction between you and others involved in the house moving process. E.g., the vendor, estate agent and even potentially a mortgage company. Appointing a lawyer for your conveyancing in Chester is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the process whose role it is to protect your legal interests and to keep you safe.

There is a definite creep of a "blame" culture- someone must be at fault for the process being so protracted. You should always trust your solicitor ahead of all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The bank mentioned the mortgage came with free conveyancing. Is the implication that I have to appoint their panel lawyer as I would much rather use a high street conveyancing solicitor in Chester?

You should check but the the likelihood is that appoint one of their panel lawyers if you take up the "fee-free" incentive. Speak to the mortgage company and ask if they allow a cash alternative. In the past a few lenders offered a £250 cashback as a further option in which case you could put that amount towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor in Chester.

How does conveyancing in Chester differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Chester come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is finished. This is because house builders in Chester tend to buy the site, 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 Chester or who has acted in the same development.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Chester with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Chester can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the lease term is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale. If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as historic rather than unresolved. If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a re-issued share certificate is often a lengthy formality and slows down many a Chester home move. Where a duplicate share is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Chester, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Chester with a long lease are worth £186,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2076

With just 53 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.