I am expecting a offer of a home loan from Halifax. My intention is to enlist the help of a Licensed Conveyancer in Hedge End and Botley. Does the Halifax Conveyancing panel include Licensed Conveyancers?

The Halifax conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, associated to the CML or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

We are acquiring a newly constructed apartment in Hedge End and Botley and my solicitor is telling me that she has to the mortgage company to disclose incentives from the seller. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to sign contracts and I have no desire to delay matters. Is my lawyer right?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancing practitioner. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

Should my solicitor be asking questions about flooding during the conveyancing in Hedge End and Botley.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers dealing with homes in Hedge End and Botley. There are those who acquire a property in Hedge End and Botley, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that can be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Hedge End and Botley. The standard completed inquiry forms sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual question of the seller to find out if the premises has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the seller, then a buyer could bring a claim for damages resulting from an inaccurate answer. A purchaser’s solicitors should also order an enviro report. This will reveal whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be conducted.

Should I go with a Hedge End and Botley conveyancing solicitor in close proximity to the house I am buying? I have an old university friend who can carry out the conveyancing however her office is approximately 350kilometers away.

The primary upside of using a high street Hedge End and Botley conveyancing practice is that you can pop in to execute documents, present your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local knowledge which is a benefit. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who used your friend and they were impressed that should outweigh using an unknown Hedge End and Botley conveyancing solicitor just because they are round the corner.

My husband and I may need to sub-let our Hedge End and Botley 1st floor flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a Hedge End and Botley conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to get any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Hedge End and Botley conveyancing lawyer is not available you can review your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the property. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must seek permission via your landlord or some other party before subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. The consent should not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I own a ground floor flat in Hedge End and Botley, conveyancing formalities finalised November 1995. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Hedge End and Botley with a long lease are worth £180,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2083

You have 58 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £22,800 and £26,400 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.