Finally the sale completed on my house in Stanford Le Hope last June yet the purchaser is telephoning every few hours complaining that their solicitor is waiting to hear from mylawyer. What should my lawyer have done now that I have sold?

Following your disposal your lawyer is duty bound to forward the transfer deeds and all of the paperwork to the buyer’s conveyancer. Depending on the transaction, your lawyer should also evidence that the mortgage has been paid off to the purchasers lawyers. There is unlikely to be post completion tasks unique to conveyancing in Stanford Le Hope.

Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to pop into the offices of the solicitor to execute the mortgage deed? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Stanford Le Hope so that I can attend their offices if required.

Most conveyancing panel lawyers for lenders carry out the vast majority of communications through the post, internet or over the phone. This means that they can undertake the conveyancing transaction no matter where you live in the country. That being said you should check if you have the option of attending the offices of your conveyancing lawyer if needed.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Stanford Le Hope. I now require my papers but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Stanford Le Hope of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

We're new on the property ladder - agreed a price, but the selling agent informed us that the vendor will only proceed if we use their chosen lawyers as they want a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a high street solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Stanford Le Hope

It is improbable the owners are behind this. If they want ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a genuine buyer is not the way to achieve this. Contact the sellers directly and explain that (a)you are genuine buyers (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances arranged © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you are going to appoint your own,trusted Stanford Le Hope conveyancing lawyers - as opposed tothose that will give the negotiator at the agency a commission or achieve conveyancing figures demanded by HQ.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Stanford Le Hope which have about 50 years unexpired on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Stanford Le Hope is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the salability of the property. For most buyers and lenders, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Stanford Le Hope conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Stanford Le Hope, conveyancing formalities finalised 7 years ago. 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? Equivalent flats in Stanford Le Hope with an extended lease are worth £211,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2093

With just 68 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should 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 before seeking the advice of a professional.