My husband and I are getting closer to an exchange on a flat in Lifton and my parents have transferred the ten percent deposit to my lawyer. I am now told that as the deposit has not come from me my conveyancing practitioner needs to make a notification to my mortgage company. Apparently, in also acting for the lender he must inform them that the balance of the purchase price is coming from anyone other than me. I disclosed to the mortgage company concerning my parents' contribution when I applied for the mortgage, so is it really appropriate for this now to be an issue?

Your conveyancer is duty bound to check with mortgage company to ensure that they understand that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own resources. Your solicitor can only notify this to your bank if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

I'm remortgaging my current house to a buy to let mortgage with TSB and I will use the rest of the raised equity as a deposit on another property. The neighborhood we are looking at is Lifton. Will your solicitors be able to act for both sets of mortgage companies and link together the conveyances?

Do use our comparison tool on this site to be sure that the solicitors are on the relevant lender panels. Having checked that they are the lawyer should be able to simultaneously deal with the two conveyancing matters but you should talk with you conveyancer and make apparent your expectations and requirements.

I am four weeks into a residential purchase having been directed to solicitors by the high street agent to perform conveyancing in Lifton. I am not happy. Could you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?

A lawyer would need to be really poor in order to consider diss instructing them. Has the loan offer been generated? If so you will need to inform them of the new contact details and get the loan are re-sent. The solicitor ideally should be on the banks panel to avoid escalating expenses and frustration. So that should be your starting point. Our find a solicitor tool should assist you in finding a bank approved lawyer for your home move in Lifton

I work for a reputable estate agent office in Lifton where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have received inconsistent advice from local Lifton conveyancing solicitors. Please can you confirm whether the owner of a flat can instigate 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 commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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.

I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Lifton, conveyancing formalities finalised October 2000. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent properties in Lifton with over 90 years remaining are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2086

With only 62 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £17,100 and £19,800 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs 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 other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

I yesterday discovered that one of the partners of the solicitors handling the purchase conveyancing in Lifton is a relative of the vendor. Is this permitted?

As long as there is no conflict of interest this is permitted. Where you are needing mortgage finance then the bank may have a say as many mortgage companies have specific instructions on this. For example for Barclays plc as of 20/7/2024, the requirements read as follows :