I am purchasing a property mortgage free in Hawkhurst. I have resided for the last 20 years in Hawkhurst. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. Given that I have knowledge of the road and vicinity intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

Provided that you do not need a mortgage, then almost all of the Hawkhurst conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your conveyancer will try and sway you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches completed, but he has a professional duty to do this. One thing to bear in mind; if you are intend to dispose of the house in the future, it could be of relevance to your prospective purchaser what the searches contain. Sometimes properties with apparent issues can still throw up unpredicted search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Hawkhurst will be able to give you some practical advice here.

I own a freehold residence in Hawkhurst but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Hawkhurst and has limited impact for conveyancing in Hawkhurst 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 hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of new rentcharges post 1977.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.

Are all Hawkhurst Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the conveyancing panel?

Some major lenders now use the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to join their panels.

Can you point me to a directory of panel solicitors in Hawkhurst on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?

No. There is no such tool on the CML or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of banks make their panel listings open the public on the web. Where you are seeking to appoint a Hawkhurst on the please use our tool.

I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in July 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, are being difficult. The Hawkhurst solicitor who is on the conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

I'm buying my first flat in Hawkhurst benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not disclose to my conveyancer about this extras as it will affect my loan with the bank. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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 in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Hawkhurst. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Hawkhurst - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I purchased a basement flat in Hawkhurst, conveyancing was carried out 3 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Hawkhurst with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 50

With only 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.