I am getting a mortgage offer from Halifax. I intend to enlist the help of a Licensed Conveyancer in Chipstead. Does the Halifax Conveyancing panel exclude conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Halifax approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

In the event thatI were to purchase a simple residential propertyin Chipstead for cash and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much should I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Chipstead?

Any savings you would gain will be limited to the Chipstead conveyancing searches. A conveyancing practitioner still be obliged to do everything else - money laundering, communicating with the sellers solicitor, stamp duty submission, register the ownership etc. A slight saving might be made by not having to register a mortgage but it won't be a lot.

Why is leasehold purchase conveyancing in Chipstead is more expensive?

Chipstead leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.

Me and my partner are purchasing a flat in Chipstead. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? At some point we have to deposit funds into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

A friend informed me that in purchasing a property in Chipstead there could be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to the property. Is this right?

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

My wife and I have arranged a further advance on our mortgage from TSB as we wish to conduct a loft conversion to our home in Chipstead. Do we need to appoint a high street Chipstead solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

TSB don't usually require a member of their approved list of lawyers to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the TSB conveyancing panel.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one near me in Chipstead I like with a park and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Chipstead for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.