I am purchasing a garden flat in Houghton Regis. Can I do my own conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Houghton Regis you will have to appoint a solicitor on your mortgage company's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Houghton Regis.

I'm at the point of viewing apartments in Houghton Regis and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a lawyer appointed at this stage? I intend to finance via a mortgage with HSBC.

It would be wise to instigate your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the selling agent. As you are obtaining a mortgage with HSBC, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the HSBC conveyancing panel.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Houghton Regis. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I would like to complain about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?

All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

I have instructed a Houghton Regis lawyer having checked that they are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Aldermore will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Aldermore 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Houghton Regis surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

Should our conveyancer be making enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Houghton Regis.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers dealing with homes in Houghton Regis. Plenty of people will acquire a property in Houghton Regis, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not qualified to give advice on flood risk, but there are a number of searches that can be initiated by the purchaser or by their lawyers which can figure out the risks in Houghton Regis. The standard property information forms sent to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual inquiry of the seller to discover whether the premises has historically flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the seller, then a purchaser could issue a claim for damages resulting from an misleading answer. The purchaser’s conveyancers should also order an environmental search. This will reveal whether there is any known flood risk. If so, additional inquiries will need to be conducted.

How do I use your search facility to get a quote from a conveyancing solicitor in Houghton Regis on the panel for my bank?

Step one is to choose a bank such as National Westminster Bank, Skipton Building Society or Barclays Direct then choose your preferred area for example Houghton Regis. Conveyancing firms in Houghton Regis and further afield will then be identified.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Houghton Regis from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Houghton Regis can be avoided where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers’ lawyers.
If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Houghton Regis state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. If you fail to have the approvals in place do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer before hand. If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Arranging a new share certificate is often a lengthy process and slows down many a Houghton Regis conveyancing transaction. Where a new share certificate is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible. You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to double-check via your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 80 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

I acquired a 2 bed flat in Houghton Regis, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Houghton Regis with a long lease are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2075

With just 51 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.