My wife and I are soon to complete buying a house in Sandown but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have managed to agree compensation from the vendor in the sum of £3k in the form of a reduction in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but Kent Reliance will not agree to this. Should they have been involved?

Your solicitor being on a Kent Reliance conveyancing panel is required to disclose to Kent Reliance of any amendments to the sale price. If you were to refuse your conveyancing practitioner to notify the reduction to Kent Reliance then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Kent Reliance and you would have to appoint a new solicitor for your conveyancing in Sandown.

What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Sandown? What am I being asked for?

You are right in the requirement set out by your lawyer has nothing to do with conveyancing in Sandown. However these days you can not complete any conveyancing process if you have not submitting proof of your identity. Ordinarily this takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence as well as a utility bill. Remember if you are providing your driving licence as proof of identification it must be both the paper element and photo card part, one is not sufficient without the other.

Proof of the origin of money is necessary in accordance with the Money Laundering Regulations. Please do not be offended when you are asked to produce this as your lawyer will need to retain this information on file. Your Sandown conveyancing solicitor will need to see evidence of proof of funds before they are able to accept any monies from you into their client account and they will also ask further queries regarding the origin of monies.

I am assisting my step-mother sell her house in Sandown. Does the conveyancing solicitor order the energy assessment or should I organise this?

Following the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was kept a compulsory part of moving property. An energy assessment must be commissioned in advance of the property being marketed. It is not something that law firms ordinarily arrange. If you are using a Sandown conveyancing lawyer they may help arrange energy assessments given their relationships with reputable local accredited person

I have instructed a Sandown lawyer having checked that they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Virgin Money will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Virgin Money will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Sandown postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Sandown.

Santander have agreed my mortgage in principle, my bid on a flat in Sandown has been accepted, what are the next steps?

Your property agent will want to be advised as to your conveyancing practitioner's details (be sure the solicitors are on the bank’s approved list). Call up Santander or your broker and finish off any appropriate documentation. Santander will sellect a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or vendor to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes on average ten days to get a mortgage offer. Santander will send the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Sandown.

I am 17 days into a leasehold purchase having been recommend to a firm by the local agent to execute conveyancing in Sandown. I am not happy. Could you help me find new conveyancers?

They would have to be really bad to suggest replacing them. Has the loan offer been issued? If so you will need to advise them of the new contact details and have the loan are issued to the new lawyers. Your conveyancer should be on the lenders approved list to avoid added charges and frustration. So that should be your starting point. The find a solicitor tool can assist you in finding a lender approved lawyer for your home move in Sandown

I work for a busy estate agency in Sandown where we see a number of leasehold sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Sandown conveyancing firms. Could you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension process for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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 own a studio flat in Sandown, conveyancing formalities finalised October 1999. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Sandown with an extended lease are worth £179,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2082

With just 57 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £26,600 and £30,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.