It is a dozen years since I bought my property in Chichester. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been instructed on the sale but I am unable to locate my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your mortgage company or they may still be with the solicitor who handled the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Chichester involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Chichester. My lender is Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 9/12/2018, the requirements read as follows :

What does a local search reveal about the house my wife and I buying in Chichester?

Chichester conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations such as Xpress Legal The local search is essential in every Chichester conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search should reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject headings.

Am I best advised to instruct a Chichester conveyancing solicitor in close proximity to the house I am hoping to buy? I have an old university friend who can conduct the legal formalities but they are based 200kilometers drive away.

The primary upside of using a high street Chichester conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, deliver your identification documents and apply pressure on them where appropriate. They will also have local knowledge which is a bonus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have instructed your friend and they were impressed that must outweigh using an unfamiliar Chichester conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being based in the area.

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Chichester. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Chichester - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Chichester Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying

Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge payments? Who is in charge of the block? What is the annual service fee and ground rent?