I am in the market for a reasonably priced property lawyer. Do I opt for an internet conveyancer rather than a high street Lowestoft conveyancing solicitor?

On the whole conveyancing lawyers in your neck of the woods will have excellent connections with your local authority, which can assist with your Lowestoft conveyancing searches that your conveyancer will require. It can only assist if they have strong connections with the Local Land Registry Office your area Lowestoft, other lawyers in the area and Lowestoft selling agents.

I am the registered owner of a freehold premises in Lowestoft but nevertheless pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Lowestoft and has limited impact for conveyancing in Lowestoft but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 will be dispensed with completely.

My house in Lowestoft is up for sale and I have a buyer. Will my conveyancer have to be required to be on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently at the moment.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Lowestoft?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Lowestoft. 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 have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one round the corner in Lowestoft I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Lowestoft for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.