We decided to go with a Chichester based lawyer for my conveyancing in Chichester last week. After carefully reading the terms of engagement I seewe are responsible for charges even if the movedoes not go ahead. Should I go with them or select a web based lawyer promoting no completion no charge conveyancing in Chichester?

Generally there is a compromise along the lines that if "No Sale No Fee" is offered then the conveyancing charges will generally be higher to counteract the conveyances that do not proceed. Also remember that these arrangements generally do not protect you from disbursements such your Chichester conveyancing search charges.

Can the conveyancing lawyers that you recommend execute auction conveyancing in Chichester?

There are a few niche solicitors we can put you in touch with those specialising in auction conveyancing. Chichester is one of hundreds of locations in which our lawyers have a presence.

How does conveyancing in Chichester differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Chichester approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is built. This is because developers in Chichester typically acquire 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 conveyancers 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 Chichester or who has acted in the same development.

I’m about to sell my 2 bed flat in Chichester. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have recently had a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you pay the service charge as you normally would because all ground rent and maintenance payments will be allotted on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I purchased a 2 bed flat in Chichester, conveyancing having been completed in 2011. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar properties in Chichester with a long lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2077

With just 52 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £29,500 and £34,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.

My son is about to join the property ladder, the home loan was agreed last week in principle. After the seller agreed the offer on the house we rang the building society to progress the mortgage application. I was very surprised to discover that banks do not accept all solicitor, they need to be on their approved list, is this legal?

Lenders tend to imposes restrictions either the type or the number of conveyancing practices on their panel. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that banks have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any Chichester solicitor on their panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, conveyancing is not their speciality. To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime? Presumably not.