Can you help? My Coombe lawyer is assuring me that he has toconduct Coombe conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the Nat Westconveyancing panel. These Coombe checks cost a lot of money can this be avoided?

You have limited options available to you. As you are taking a home loan with a mortgage company your has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Coombe conveyancing searches.

It is is a decade since I purchased my house in Coombe. Conveyancing solicitors have now been retained on the sale but I am unable to track down the title deeds. Is this a major issue?

Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be with the lender or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Coombe involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

I have recentlydiscovered that Wolstenholmes have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Coombe for a purchase of a freehold house 10 months ago. How can I establish that my home is not still registered in the name of the previous owner?

The easiest method to check if the premises is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Coombe conveyancing specialists.

My father has urged me to use his conveyancers in Coombe. Should I choose my own conveyancer?

There are no two ways about it the best way to select a conveyancing solicitor is to get feedback from friends or relatives who have used the solicitor that you are considering.

I am looking at a couple of flats in Coombe which have in the region of forty five years unexpired on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Coombe is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the value of the property. For most buyers and banks, leases with less than eighty years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Coombe conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Coombe - A selection of Questions you should ask before buying

How much is the annual service fee and ground rent? Are there any major works on the horizon that will likely increase the service charges?