I am buying a house mortgage free in Rottingdean. I have lived for the last 15 years in Rottingdean. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. Given that I have knowledge of the area and road very well must I have all the conveyancing searches?

In the absence of a home loan, then the vast majority of the Rottingdean conveyancing searches are optional. Your solicitor will ’encourage you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches carried out, but he has a professional duty to do this. Do bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house in the future, it will likely be be of importance to your prospective buyer what the searches disclose. There are plenty of instances where properties with functional issues can still throw up unfavourable search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Rottingdean should be able to give you some helpful advice here.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Rottingdean. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender RBS be concerned?

As your lender is RBS your lawyer must comply with the formal instructions set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for RBS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook sets out minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to RBS where a lease does not meet these conditions. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Rottingdean.

Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Rottingdean. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.

About to purchase flat in Rottingdean. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Rottingdean lawyer is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my house are lost. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Rottingdean 5 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?

Nowadays there are copies made of almost everything, and your conveyancer will be aware exactly where to look for all the appropriate documentation so you can buy or dispose of your house without a hitch. If duplicates can’t be found, your solicitor can put in place insurance or indemnities protecting you against future claims on the property.

How does conveyancing in Rottingdean differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Rottingdean contact us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is finished. This is because house builders in Rottingdean tend to acquire the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Rottingdean or who has acted in the same development.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Rottingdean conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Rottingdean conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Rottingdean conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be useful:

What volume of lease extensions have they carried out in Rottingdean in the last year? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

Rottingdean Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

This question is helpful as a) areas may result in problems in the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the tenants have an issue with the managing agents you will need to have all the details Be sure to enquire if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For instance plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Rottingdean. If you love the propertyin Rottingdean but your cat can’t make the move with you then you have a very hard determination. What is the the remaining lease term?