My aunt passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Lee On The Solent. The house had a relatively small loan left on it of around £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Kent Reliance, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?

Where you plan to refinance then Kent Reliance will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Kent Reliance conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Kent Reliance mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as HSBC, do Lee On The Solent property lawyers incur an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to be on their panel, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

Is it the case that all Lee On The Solent solicitor practices on the Lloyds conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Lloyds approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some banks do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the CLC.

We expect to receive a OIP from RBS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any Lee On The Solent solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Lee On The Solent solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Lee On The Solent ahead of retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. My surveyor has said that some lenders will refuse to issue a loan on such a property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you e-mail us we can look into this further via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Lee On The Solent. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Lee On The Solent to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

Should I be wary by brokers that I am dealing with are suggesting an internet conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Lee On The Solent conveyancing firm?

As with lots of professional services, often recommendations from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. Nevertheless there are many players in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, financial adviser and mortgage companies may put forward conveyancers to select. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there may be a commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You have the right to choose your own conveyancer. You need to be aware that many mortgage providers specify a panel list of lawyers you must use for the lender related work in your transaction.

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in Lee On The Solent where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Lee On The Solent conveyancing firms. Can you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has owned the lease 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 wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with 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 buyer.

Lee On The Solent Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Please note that where the lease has less than eighty years it will affect the salability of the apartment. Check with your mortgage company that they are happy with residual term of the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. For most Lee On The Solentlease extensions you will need to own the property for 24 months before you are legally able to extend the lease. The answer will be useful as a) areas may result in problems in the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the managing agents you will need to have all the details Plenty Lee On The Solent leasehold properties will incur a service charge for the upkeep of the building invoiced by the landlord. Should you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this amount, normally periodically accross the year. This may be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay annual, this is usually not a significant figure, say about £25-£75 but you should to check it because on occasion it can be surprisingly expensive.