It is is a decade since I bought my house in Lichfield. Conveyancing solicitors have recently been appointed on the sale but I am unable to locate my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be with the mortgage company or they could be archived with the solicitor who handled your purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Lichfield relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it is more tricky but is not insurmountable.

Do I choose a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Lichfield?

There are many recorded licenced Conveyancers in Lichfield and Solicitor firms in Lichfield to choose from It is important to make clear that both are regulated professionals specialising in the legal work in transferring property. They may both also handle associated property related work such as remortgage conveyancing, enfranchisement and transfer of equity conveyancing.

The mortgage over my property is with Aldermore for my property in Lichfield. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Aldermore?

Aldermore must be informed of your intention before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Aldermore’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Aldermore will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Aldermore directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Aldermore conveyancing panel firm.

Barclays have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a property in Lichfield has been accepted, what happens next?

The property agent will wish to know who your solicitors are (be sure the property lawyers are on the bank’s panel). Call up Barclays or the broker and finalise any appropriate documentation. Barclays will instruct a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or vendor to book a slot for the valuation to take place. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. Barclays will issue the offer to you and your lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Lichfield.

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that may impact a commercial site in Lichfield?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Lichfield will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers spend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Lichfield. The report sets out definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Lichfield.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Lichfield it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can result in delays to Lichfield commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not carried out for domestic conveyancing in Lichfield.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. Lichfield is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Lichfield are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Lichfield you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Lichfield may determine 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.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in Lichfield. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, however I have just had a half-yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the invoice as usual given that all ground rent and maintenance payments should be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I inherited a 2 bed flat in Lichfield, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable properties in Lichfield with a long lease are worth £222,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2094

With 70 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.