Do I have to pop into the offices of the solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Standish so that I can pop in to their offices if required.

As opposed to ten years ago, most lenders no longer oblige their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the mortgagors signature. You will still be obliged to provide identification documents and there are still manifest advantages to using a locally based practitioner, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Standish.

My partner and I are planning on selling our property in Standish and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using an online conveyancing outfit rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Standish. We have lived in Standish for many years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation need.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor already. Are they able to advise? You need to enquire of 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 life insurance to cover that same sickness)

My wife and I own a terraced Victorian house in Standish. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and . I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for 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 Standish and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.

How does conveyancing in Standish differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Standish approach us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is finished. This is because builders in Standish tend to purchase the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Standish or who has acted in the same development.

I acquired a leasehold flat in Standish, conveyancing formalities finalised 1995. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Comparable flats in Standish with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease finishes on 21st October 50

With just 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.