I am buying a flat in Congleton. My Solicitor is not listed on the mortgage company approved list. Is it possible for me to use my Congleton conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the mortgage company panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?

You must have a property lawyer to deal with the formalities if you take out a mortgage to buy your home. The solicitor will carry out all the appropriate investigations on the property, ensuring that you’re registered as proprietor and ensure that all the necessary mortgage paperwork is dealt with. One could appoint a Congleton conveyancing practitioner of your choosing. However, if the solicitor selected is not a member of the lender approved list additional fees will be levied as separate legal representation will be required by them. Lender panel applications may be submitted, so if your solicitor has not historically sought membership they should take the chance to apply.

Is it realistic for conveyancing in Congleton to be finalised in 10 days?

In the event that the seller is applying a tight deadline to sign contracts it is highly recommended that your conveyancer is familiar with the location as they will have local relationships and intelligence. It is possible that they would have conducted previoushouses in the same road. You would be best advised to use a Congleton conveyancing firm. In addition, make sure that the lawyer is on the member panel. It is understood that 18% of Congleton conveyancing transactions are held up or derailed after discovering a buyer’s lawyer was not on their banks list of approved solicitors. In many cases this discovery resulted in the transaction being frustrated by as much as 21 days. It is estimated that this issue affects in the region of one hundred thousand home moves every year. Most Congleton conveyancing practices can not act for certain mortgage companies so do check at the outset.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one close by in Congleton I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Congleton for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

I was pointed in your direction by a number of estate agents in Congleton to locate a solicitor using your seach tool. What’s the financial upside for Estate Agents to market your lawyers rather than a competitor’s?

We refuse to offer any commission for sending work in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

My partner and I may need to let out our Congleton 1st floor flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Congleton conveyancing practice in 2003 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A lease governs the relationship between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is banned, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Congleton do not prevent strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would adversely affect the market value the flat. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a copy of the tenancy agreement.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Congleton, conveyancing was carried out December 2011. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Congleton with a long lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 2086

With only 61 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £19,000 and £22,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns 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 before getting professional advice.