Our lawyer has discovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the flat we are purchasing in Cudham. The seller’s lawyers have offered title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our lawyer has advised that he must be satisfied that the mortgage company is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the bank?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the bank are the client. Your property lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the mortgage company can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your property lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

What will a local search inform me regarding the house I am purchasing in Cudham?

Cudham conveyancing often starts with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for example Searches UK The local search plays an important role in many a Cudham conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search should reveal information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject sections.

It has been 4 months following my purchase conveyancing in Cudham took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Cudham. Conveyancing is daunting 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 are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Cudham

Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Please supply a car parking plan. 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. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier?

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Cudham I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Cudham for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage that many years will likely be an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.