It is a dozen years since I purchased my property in Merseyside. Conveyancing lawyers have just been retained on the sale but I can't locate my title documents. Is this a problem?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be retained by your lender or they may be in the possession of the solicitor who oversaw your purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Merseyside involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it is more tricky but is resolvable.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our property are lost. The conveyancers who did the conveyancing in Merseyside 10 years ago are no longer around. Will I be able to sell the house?

You no longer need to have the physical official documentation to establish that you are the registered proprietor of land or premises, given that the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

I am buying a new build flat in Merseyside. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Merseyside

Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Merseyside in advance of appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. The surveyor advised that some lenders will not grant a loan on this type of house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can check 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 Merseyside. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Merseyside especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Merseyside.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two flats in Merseyside which have about forty five years left on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Merseyside is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the marketability of the premises. The majority of buyers and lenders, leases with under 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Merseyside conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I bought a ground floor flat in Merseyside, conveyancing having been completed in 2002. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Merseyside with a long lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2102

You have 77 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £7,600 and £8,800 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.