We chose a local solicitor for my conveyancing in Thurrock recently. Reviewing the Terms and Conditions it is apparent thatwe are responsible for charges even if our purchase aborts. Should I ditch them and select an internet conveyancing brokerage advertising no-sale-no-fee conveyancing in Thurrock?

Generally there is a compromise along the lines that if "No Completion No Fee" is offered then the conveyancing charges will generally be uplifted to neutralise those transactions that fail to complete. Please beware that such arrangements tend not to protect you from outlay e.g. Thurrock conveyancing search charges.

It is 10 years ago since I acquired my house in Thurrock. Conveyancing solicitors have now been retained on the sale but I can't track down the title deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

Don’t worry too much. First there is a chance that the deeds will be kept by the lender or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Thurrock involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

I'm buying a new build house in Thurrock with a mortgage from Barnsley Building Society. The builders refused to budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent told me not inform my conveyancer about this deal as it could put at risk my loan with Barnsley Building Society. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Thurrock I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Thurrock for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Thurrock from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Thurrock can be avoided where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers’ solicitors.
Many landlords or Management Companies in Thurrock levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Thurrock. If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Thurrock leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such changes. Should you fail to have the consents in place do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer first. A minority of Thurrock leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual 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 purchasers or their solicitors.

I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Thurrock, conveyancing having been completed 5 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Thurrock with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2087

With 61 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £18,100 and £20,800 as well as professional fees.

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 investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.