It is a dozen years since I bought my house in Somersham. Conveyancing solicitors have just been appointed on the sale but I am unable to locate the deeds. Is this a problem?

Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be kept by your lender or they may still be with the lawyers who handled your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Somersham involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

I am downsizing from our home in Somersham and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers used an internet conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Somersham. We have lived in Somersham for three years we know of no issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to get confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. What do they say? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

I'm purchasing a new build house in Somersham with the aid of help to buy. The developers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The sale representative told me not disclose to my lawyer about the side-deal as it will affect my loan with Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Somersham ahead of instructing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. Our surveyor has said that some banks tend not issue a mortgage on such a premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different instructions from Halifax. If you call us we can look into this further via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Somersham. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Somersham especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Somersham.

I’m about to sell my 2 bed apartment in Somersham. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the maintenance contribution as normal given that all rents and service invoices will be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I am the registered owner of a split level flat in Somersham, conveyancing formalities finalised 8 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Somersham with a long lease are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2076

With just 51 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing 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 are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.