Would the conveyancing solicitors that you recommend carry out conveyancing in County Durham by way of an attended exchange?

There are a few conveyancing experts carrying out 24hr exchanges. Do call us to secure a costs illustration and details as to availability.

I am the registered owner of a freehold residence in County Durham but still invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in County Durham and has limited impact for conveyancing in County Durham but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 will be extinguished.

I have been told that property searches are the primary reason for stalling in County Durham conveyancing transactions. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the common causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Local searches are not likely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in County Durham.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in County Durham in advance of retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies may not grant a loan on this type of home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can check via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in County Durham. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in County Durham to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a County Durham conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a County Durham conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you speak with two or three firms including non County Durham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be helpful:

How many lease extensions have they completed in County Durham in the last twenty four months? What are the charges for lease extension work?

Leasehold Conveyancing in County Durham - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

If a County Durham lease has no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the property. Check with your mortgage company that they are content with residual term of the lease. A short lease means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth finding out how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will be be obliged to have owned the property for two years in order to be eligible to extend the lease. Does this lease have more than 90 years left? Plenty County Durham leasehold flats will have a service bill for the upkeep of the block levied on behalf of the management company. Should you purchase the flat you will have to meet this charge, usually periodically accross the year. This can be anything from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal areas. In all probability there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, normally this is not a large amount, say around £50-£100 but you need to enquire as occasionally it could be prohibitively expensive.