My uncle passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Southmead. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £4500. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Yorkshire BS, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?

Given you intend to refinance then Yorkshire BS will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Yorkshire BS mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Southmead what would it be?

Do not opt for the lowest Southmead conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unseasoned as FTB of a two bedroom flat in Southmead. Do I collect the keys to the property on completion from my solicitor? If so, I will use a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Southmead?

On the day of completion you will not be required to attend the conveyancers office in Southmead. Conveyancing lawyers for you will transfer the completion advance to the vendor’s lawyers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be able to pick up the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens early afternoon.

My wife and I are spending time looking at houses in Southmead and I am about to put in an offer. Is it sensible to have a conveyancing practitioner on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a mortgage with Nationwide.

You should start requesting conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. As you are getting a mortgage with Nationwide, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel.

I'm buying my first flat in Southmead with a loan from Lloyds TSB Bank. The sellers refused to budge the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative advised me not reveal to my lawyer about this deal as it may adversely affect my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years left on my flat in Southmead. I am keen to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What are my options?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to track down the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent may be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Southmead.

Southmead Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying

The answer will be helpful as a) areas could cause problems in the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if maintenance are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the running of the building you will want to have full disclosure Its a good idea to find out as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you will be in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to practical issues such as the upkeep of the common parts. Ask prospective neighbours what they think of them. In conclusion, investigate as to the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the appropriate party and specifically what it includes. Are there any major works on the horizon that will likely add a premium to the maintenance costs?

How easy is it to change a solicitor as I need to find a Southmead based conveyancer who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel. Is it practical to instruct different lawyers?

If you haven't yet appointed 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 Southmead that you're thinking of instructing.