We are purchasing a property and the solicitor has mentioned Chancel Repair to which the house could be liable as it falls into the area of such a church. He has mentioned insurance. Is this really appropriate for conveyancing in Keswick

Unless a prior purchase of the property completed after 12 October 2013 you could assume that lawyers handling conveyancing in Keswick to continue to propose a a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Keswick?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Keswick. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one close by in Keswick I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 51 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Keswick for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

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

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Keswick conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Keswick conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be useful:

Can they put you in touch with clients in Keswick who can give a testimonial? What volume of lease extensions has the firm conducted in Keswick in the last twenty four months?

I acquired a 1st floor flat in Keswick, conveyancing formalities finalised February 2008. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Keswick with an extended lease are worth £175,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2083

You have 58 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £23,800 and £27,400 plus costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

What is the reason for my conveyancer requiring a list of items of identification before I can proceed with my conveyancing in Keswick?

Keswick lawyers are obliged by the Law Society, Solicitors Regulation Authority, HMLR and current AML legislation to record that the have checked the identity of their clients. It is also sometimes a condition of your mortgage offer. Furthermore they have to complete various forms, particularly those relating to SDLT and need to have information such as your full names, national insurance number and date of birth.