Why do I have to pay up front when it comes to conveyancing in South Yorkshire?

Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in South Yorkshire your solicitor will request that you put them with funds to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. If any deposit is as part of the total price then this should be required shortly prior to contracts are exchanged. The closing balance that is needed should be sent to your lawyer a few days prior to the completion date.

My wife and I own a terraced Victorian house in South Yorkshire. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Chelsea Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. Is it worth asking Chelsea Building Society to clarify?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in South Yorkshire and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the position with your conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. South Yorkshire is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in South Yorkshire are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside South Yorkshire you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in South Yorkshire may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

My husband and I are new to the buying process - had an offer accepted, yet the estate agent has warned us that the seller will only proceed if we appoint the agent's chosen conveyancers as they need an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a family conveyancer used to conveyancing in South Yorkshire

It is unlikely the sellers are driving this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', turning down a motivated buyer is going to damage their objectives. Contact the owners directly and explain that (a)you are serious buyers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to use your own,trusted South Yorkshire conveyancing firm - as opposed tothose that will earn the negotiator at the agency a commission or achieve conveyancing targets pre-set by HQ.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a South Yorkshire conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a South Yorkshire conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggest that you make enquires with two or three firms including non South Yorkshire conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be useful:

If they are not ALEP accredited then why not? Can they put you in touch with clients in South Yorkshire who can give a testimonial?

I inherited a studio flat in South Yorkshire, conveyancing formalities finalised 7 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in South Yorkshire with a long lease are worth £206,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease ends on 21st October 2090

With only 66 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £12,400 and £14,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.