At what point will exchange of contracts occur in domestic conveyancing in Duston and do I need to be at the conveyancers office?

If you are near to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Duston you are welcome to come in to sign documents. However, the lender approved solicitors we recommend supply a nationwide conveyancing service and provide just as comprehensive and professional a job for you when communicating with you digitally. The executing of the contract is not the point of no return. A signed contract simply enables the solicitor to officially exchange when the time is right, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is is usually a five minute process, although where an extended "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Duston)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Duston before retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some banks will not issue a loan on such a house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you contact us we can look into this further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Duston. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Duston especially if they are familiar with such properties in Duston.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in Duston for my sale. Is there any facility to review a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

You can review presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from inquisitions started on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For details Pre 2008, or to check a firm's record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded call for training reasons.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Duston. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Duston are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Duston in which case you should be looking for a Duston conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

I acquired a basement flat in Duston, conveyancing formalities finalised June 2010. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Duston with a long lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2083

You have 57 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £28,500 and £33,000 plus costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

I have today had an offer accepted on an apartment in Duston and the mortgage adviser that we are using suggested his property lawyer. He quoted a thousand pounds excluding VAT and 3rd party costs. Does this sound reasonable?

Don't just go on 1 quote. You should obtain like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Duston. Then choose one that you are comfortable with and crucially, is on the approved list of the mortgage company that you have applied for a mortgage from.