I am buying a house mortgage free in Kent. I have been living for the previous twelve years in Kent. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. As I have knowledge of the area and road very well must I have all the conveyancing searches?

If you not getting a mortgage, then all but one or two of the Kent conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your conveyancer will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches completed, but he has a professional duty to do this. One thing to take into account; if you are going to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future purchaser what the searches disclose. Sometimes properties with apparent issues can still reveal unfavourable search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Kent should provide you some helpful guidance concerning this.

It is a dozen years since I acquired my home in Kent. Conveyancing lawyers have now been instructed on the sale but I am unable to locate my title deeds. Is this a problem?

Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by the mortgage company or they may stored with the conveyancers who handled your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining current official copies of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Kent involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is unregistered it is more problematic but is resolvable.

I'm refinancing my current house to a BTL mortgage with TSB and I will use the ballance of the raised equity towards a second house. The neighborhood we are interested in is Kent. Will your solicitors be able to act for both sets of banks and tie in the conveyances?

Make use of our search tool on this page to ensure that the lawyers are on the relevant lender panels. Having checked that they are the solicitor will be able to simultaneously deal with the two deals but you should talk with you solicitor and make apparent your desired outcome and requirements.

I am using a search engine for the phrase on line conveyancing in Kent it brings up numerous property lawyerslocally. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right conveyancer for purchase transaction?

The ideal method of finding the right conveyancer is via trusted recommendation, so ask colleagues and those you trust who have acquired a property in Kent or the respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Kent differ, so it's a good idea to request a minimum of three fee calculations from different solicitors. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Kent conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Kent conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Kent conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be useful:

How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?

I inherited a ground floor flat in Kent, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent flats in Kent with a long lease are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2082

You have 63 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.