I am helping my sister sell her property in Dereham. Will the conveyancer order an EPC or it is for the seller to see to?

After the demise of HIPs, EPC’s became a mandatory part of selling a house. An EPC needs to be to hand prior to the property being advertised. It is not as aspect of the sale process that solicitors normally arrange. If you are using a Dereham conveyancing lawyer they might help arrange energy performance certificates given their contacts with reputable local providers

Can I be sure that the Dereham conveyancing solicitor on the Principality panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Dereham seeking recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer conducting your conveyancing.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Dereham solicitor having checked that they are on the UBS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

UBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually UBS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your solicitor will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Dereham postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with UBS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Dereham.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Dereham benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not inform my conveyancer about the extras as it could impact my loan with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Dereham I like with a park and station in the vicinity, however it only has 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Dereham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

Should you require a mortgage that many years will likely be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities 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 speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

We're FTB’s - had an offer accepted, but the selling agent informed us that the vendor will only go ahead if we instruct their preferred conveyancers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a local conveyancer used to conveyancing in Dereham

It is unlikely the vendors are driving this. If they require ‘a quick sale', alienating a motivated buyer is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Contact the vendors directly and make the point that (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are ready to go, with finances arranged © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you are going to instruct your own,trusted Dereham conveyancing firm - not the ones that will provide the negotiator at the agency a kickback or hit his conveyancing figures demanded by corporate headquarters.

Due to exchange soon on a garden flat in Dereham. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Dereham should include some of the following:

Repair and maintenance of the flat Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property? What you can do if a neighbour breaches a clause of their lease? Setting out your rights in relation to common areas in the building.For instance, does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or hallways? Whether your lease caters for for a slush fund for major works?

I purchased a leasehold flat in Dereham, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Dereham with an extended lease are worth £179,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2081

You have 57 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £26,600 and £30,800 as well as 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 a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.