I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (five years old) in Highnam. The vast majority the flats are already sold. Do I need carry out the local searches as part of conveyancing in Highnam?

If you getting a mortgage, your lender will need some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Highnam conveyancing searches are for you to decide upon. No doubt your conveyancer, will 'advise', perhaps in the strongest possible terms, that you should have the searches done, but he or she is duty bound in this regard. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you demand that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or you will need to switch to an alternative solicitor for your conveyancing in Highnam.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Highnam with a loan from Bank of Ireland. The developers refused to move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not reveal to my conveyancer about the deal as it would put at risk 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.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in Highnam I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Highnam for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?

Should you need a home loan that many years will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my grandfather I am selling a house in Neath but live in Highnam. My conveyancer (approximately 300 miles awayneeds me to execute a statutory declaration ahead of the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Highnam to attest and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Highnam based

We expect to complete the disposal of our £400,000 apartment in Highnam next week. The freeholder has quoted £384 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Highnam?

Highnam conveyancing on leasehold flats normally involves the purchaser’s solicitor sending enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer these enquiries most will be content to assist. They are entitled to levy a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I inherited a garden flat in Highnam, conveyancing was carried out 7 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Highnam with a long lease are worth £260,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2099

With just 74 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do 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 you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.