Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to attend the offices of the solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will instruct a firm who offer conveyancing in Sawston so that I can attend their offices if required.

As opposed to 12 years ago, most lenders no longer oblige their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the mortgagors signature. You will still be obliged to hand over identification documents and there are still manifest benefits to instructing a locally based practitioner, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Sawston.

Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Sawston in advance of instructing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions from Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can investigate further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Sawston. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Sawston especially if they are familiar with such properties in Sawston.

Is it simple use the search facility to locate a conveyancing solicitor in Sawston on the authorised to act for my bank?

First choose a bank such as Accord Mortgages Ltd, Barnsley Building Society or Barclays Direct then type in your location a common one being Sawston. Conveyancing firms in Sawston and nationally should be identified.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Sawston conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Sawston conveyancing firm) 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 several firms including non Sawston conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be helpful:

How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation? Can they put you in touch with clients in Sawston who can give a testimonial?

I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Sawston, conveyancing was carried out 6 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable flats in Sawston with a long lease are worth £180,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2082

You have 59 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £20,900 and £24,200 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

I need to change lawyers as my Sawston lawyer is not on the mortgage company's panel of conveyancing solicitors. How simple is it to change conveyancer?

If you haven't yet instructed a solicitor to commence the conveyancing and at this stage simply received an estimate as to costs, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer in Sawston that you're considering.