I am buying a right to buy a flat in Hull North. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Hull North 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 Hull North.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Hull North is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Hull North are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Hull North you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Hull North may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

I was pointed in your direction by a couple of local property agents in Hull North to get a quote from a conveyancer using your seach tool. Is there a financial incentive for Estate Agents to offer your services over and above a competitor’s?

We don’t give any referral fee for sending work our way. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

I work for a busy estate agency in Hull North where we see a number of flat sales derailed as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Hull North conveyancing firms. Could you clarify whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Hull North, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent properties in Hull North with a long lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2077

You have 56 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £29,500 and £34,000 plus professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.

My partner and I have just found out that one of the partners of the conveyancing practice handling the purchase conveyancing in Hull North is a relative of the seller. Is this acceptable?

As long as no conflict arises this is permitted. If you are obtaining a home loan then the lender may have a say as many mortgage companies have specific instructions concerning this. For example for RBS - Direct Line as of 22/6/2021, the requirements read as follows :