My fiance and I are refinancing our maisonette in Stapleton with UBS. We have a son approaching twenty who lives at home. Our solicitor requested us to identify anyone over the age of 17 other than ourselves who reside at the property. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, giving up any rights in the event that the property is forfeited by the lender. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this document specific to the UBS conveyancing panel as he never had to sign this form when we remortgaged 3 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?

First, rest assured that your UBS conveyancing panel solicitor is doing the right thing as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to UBS. This is solely used to protect UBS if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of UBS had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

What does a local search tell me regarding the property I am purchasing in Stapleton?

Stapleton conveyancing often starts with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company such as Searches UK The local search is essential in every Stapleton conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search will provide data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject headings.

What tools are available to identify a Stapleton law firm on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel upto 10miles to meet the conveyancer.

You can use the facility on this page. Please pick a mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Stapleton conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Stapleton conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can call them to see whether they are on the National Westminster Bank panel

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Stapleton. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Stapleton ?

The majority of houses in Stapleton are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Stapleton so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Stapleton conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

I am the registered owner of a studio flat in Stapleton, conveyancing formalities finalised February 2006. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Stapleton with over 90 years remaining are worth £176,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2104

With just 80 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Two months into buying a residence in Stapleton. Conveyancing lawyer has told us the title is "Leasehold". Will this likely impact our home loan valuation?

Stapleton conveyancing does not ordinarily involve leasehold houses. The key factor here is the remaining lease term and the ground rent. If it's 999 years with a nominal rent, it's virtually freehold, so it shouldn't impact the value too much.

At the other end of the spectrum, if it's, say, Sixty years it is bound to have a significant impact on the value, and most likely wouldn't be mortgageable. The remaining lease term and ground rent will be set out in the lease to be supplied to your conveyancer.