Having been referred to your organisation we were about to appoint conveyancing solicitor in Consett found by you but stumbled across alternative fee calculations on the internet appear less pricey – how come?

One can find many firms of conveyancers marketing theoretically looks to be the cheapest conveyancing in Consett. We would urge you to think twice about how important this transaction is to you that you are willing to be penny wise pound foolish with regard to the quality of the conveyancing. Many of them highlight a cheap fee to catch your eye but conceal extra costs in the small print..

Can the conveyancing lawyers that you recommend execute conveyancing in Consett by way of an attended exchange?

We do have a number of conveyancing specialists carrying out one day exchanges. You should contact us to receive a costs illustration and details as to dates.

I am selling my flat in Consett. Does my lawyer have to be on the Skipton conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Skipton conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their panel criteria fairly frequently at the moment.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the house moving as a first time purchaser of a ground floor flat in Consett. Do I receive the keys to the premises on the completion date from my solicitor? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Consett?

On the day of completion you do not need to attend the conveyancers office in Consett. Your solicitors will electronically transfer the completion advance to the seller's lawyers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be able to pick up the keys from the selling Agents and move into your new home. Usually this occurs between 1 and 3pm.

I'm the sole recipient of my late mum's estate and I have everything in my name now, including the my former home in Consett. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in October. I plan to dispose of the house. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship could be considered the same way as if I'd bought the property in October. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be caught by that. Some banks would take a pragmatic view as this clause is principally there to identify subsales or the quick reselling of properties.

I can not fathom if my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Consett bank branch on a couple of occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they will lend. My Consett conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they refuse to lend based on their published requirements. Who do I believe?

As long as the lawyer is on the mortgage company approved list, they must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook specifications for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I’m about to sell my ground floor apartment in Consett. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, but I have just received a yearly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is clear the invoice as you normally would given that all rents and maintenance payments should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice 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 acquired a leasehold flat in Consett, conveyancing having been completed 6 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent flats in Consett with an extended lease are worth £255,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2096

With just 73 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.