We are a couple about to sign contracts for a semi detached house in Streetly. We have hit a snag. Our loan offer with expires on but the owners are putting forward a completion date of . Can one prolong the mortgage offer?

The best person to address this question is your lawyer who should assess whether he or she is should be discussing with the mortgage company, owner’s solicitors, selling agents or indeed all three based on what has gone on in your transaction to date.

It is 10 years ago since I acquired my property in Streetly. Conveyancing solicitors have now been instructed on the sale but I can't find my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by the mortgage company or they may be archived with the conveyancers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Streetly relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it is more problematic but is not insurmountable.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my home can not be found. The lawyers who dealt with the conveyancing in Streetly years ago no longer exist. What are my options?

Gone are the days when you need to hold title official documentation to establish that you are the owner of your registered land or property, given that the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one close by in Streetly I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Streetly suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Streetly - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

It would be prudent to discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example some leases prohibit pets being allowed in in a block in Streetly. If you love the flatin Streetly but your cat can’t move with you then you will be faced difficult compromise. You should want to discover as much as possible concerning the managing agents as they will either make living at the property much easier or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you are often in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day issues such as the tidiness of the communal areas. You should not be afraid to ask other people whether they are happy with them. In conclusion, be sure you know the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and precisely what you get for your money. Best to be warned if fixing the lift or some other major work is pending that will be shared amongst the tenants and may well dramatically increase the the service fees or result in a specific invoice.