My wife and I own a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Croydon. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and The Mortgage Works. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Croydon and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the conveyancing.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Croydon. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Croydon

If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Croydon I like with open areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Croydon in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for residential conveyancing in Croydon. I've discover a site which appears to be the ideal offering If it is possible to get all the legals completed via web that would be ideal. Should I be wary? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

My husband and I are acquiring a garden flat in Croydon. At the point of instructing our lawyer, we were told they were on all major UK bank panels. The financial adviser emailed today to say that they don't appear to be on the Skipton approved list. If it turns out to be true, what should we do? Do we just choose a new lawyer that is on their panel or do we pay for separate representation, with Skipton appointing their own approved conveyancing practitioner.

When buying a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is conventional for the buyer’s lawyers to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a lawyer has to be on that lender's list of approved lawyers. An application has to be made by the property lawyer to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the property lawyer has to meet. Some banks now require their panel firms to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitor should contact Skipton to discover if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on Skipton's conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Croydon lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.