We see that you have a search directory identifying law firms on the conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I instruct them for our conveyancing in Summertown?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Summertown.

My friend suggested that where I am purchasing in Summertown I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Summertown conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about Summertown around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Summertown.

It has been five months since my purchase conveyancing in Summertown took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in last month in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Summertown is the location of the property. Can you offer any assistance?

Flying freeholds in Summertown are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Summertown you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Summertown may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed flat in Summertown. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have recently received a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the invoice as normal given that all ground rent and maintenance payments should be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Summertown, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding properties in Summertown with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 50

With only 50 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.