The owners of the home we are purchasing have instructed a conveyancing solicitor in Sunninghill who has insisted on a preliminary contract with a deposit 10k. Are such agreements sensible?

Lock out contracts are agreements between a property owner and prospective acquirer granting the buyer exclusive rights to the sale of the property for a set period of time. For all intents and purposes, a lock out agreement is a contract stating that you should have a contract at a later date which is the main conveyancing contract. It is generally utilised for buyer protection though in some cases, the owner may enjoy an upside from such agreements as well. There are numerous positives and negatives to having an agreement but you need to check with your lawyer but beware that it may result in incurring extra in conveyancing charges. In light of these reasons these contracts are unusual in relation to conveyancing in Sunninghill.

I have recentlydiscovered that Action Conveyancing have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Sunninghill for a purchase of a leasehold flat 18 months ago. How can I establish that my home is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest method to check if the premises is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Sunninghill conveyancing specialists.

Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Sunninghill ahead of appointing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor has said that some banks tend refuse to issue a loan on such a house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different requirements for example to Nationwide. If you call us we can investigate further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Sunninghill. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

In scouring the web for the phrase conveyancing in Sunninghill it reveals many solicitorsin the vicinity. How do I determine which is the suitable solicitor for purchase transaction?

The ideal method of seeking the right conveyancer is via trusted recommendation, so enquire of friends and relatives who have purchased a property in Sunninghill or a reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Sunninghill vary, so it's sensible to obtain at least three estimates from different solicitors. Dont forget to clarify that the charges are assured not to escalate.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Sunninghill from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Sunninghill can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers’ representatives.
Some Sunninghill leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers. Many freeholders or managing agents in Sunninghill charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Sunninghill. If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.

I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Sunninghill, conveyancing was carried out in 2008. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding flats in Sunninghill with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2077

With just 52 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £29,500 and £34,000 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.