I am hoping to move into my new home in Cotham next Friday. My conveyancing practitioner now wants me to supply her with evidence of content and building insurance for the property as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the mortgage company. What does the insurance need to cover?

Any lawyer on acting for banks would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. These requirements are not specific to conveyancing in Cotham.

I had intended to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Cotham for our house purchase. Our financial adviser informed us that our mortgage lenders HSBC Bank won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?

A lender may insist on an approved solicitor act for it. You would be expected to meet the cost of this. Try using our tool to locate a solicitor to carry conveyancing in Cotham on the HSBC Bank approved list of solicitors.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Cotham I like with open areas and station nearby, however it's only got 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in Cotham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

Should you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be problematic. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

As co-executor for the will of my uncle I am selling a property in Neath but I am based in Cotham. My conveyancer (approximately 260 miles from meneeds me to sign a statutory declaration before completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Cotham who can attest and place their company stamp on the document?

strictly speaking you are not likely to be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are located in Cotham

There are only Fifty years remaining on my lease in Cotham. I need to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the lessor. On the whole a specialist may be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document which can be used as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Cotham.

I own a 1st floor flat in Cotham, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Cotham with a long lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2087

You have 62 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £17,100 and £19,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.