When it comes to lenders such as Principality, do Tunbridge Wells conveyancing practitioners face an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any bank fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Tunbridge Wells off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Kent Reliance. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Kent Reliance, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel.

Kent Reliance have agreed my mortgage in principle, my bid on a house in Tunbridge Wells has been agreed to, now what?

Your estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (be sure the conveyancing practitioners are on the bank’s panel). Call up Kent Reliance or the broker and finish off any outstanding documentation. Kent Reliance will sellect a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to schedule an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. Kent Reliance will send the offer to you and your property lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Tunbridge Wells.

My wife and I own a terraced Victorian house in Tunbridge Wells. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Leeds Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Tunbridge Wells and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Tunbridge Wells is where the house is located. Can you offer any guidance?

Flying freeholds in Tunbridge Wells are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Tunbridge Wells 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 Tunbridge Wells may decide 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.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Tunbridge Wells from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Tunbridge Wells can be reduced if you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers’ lawyers.
You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your solicitors. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is under 80 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale. The majority of freeholders or managing agents in Tunbridge Wells charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Tunbridge Wells. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Tunbridge Wells leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. Where you fail to have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance.

I acquired a ground floor flat in Tunbridge Wells, conveyancing was carried out May 1997. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Tunbridge Wells with an extended lease are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease ceases on 21st October 2077

With 51 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account 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.

Being a tenant I am on the hook for a service charge for my ground floor flat in Tunbridge Wells. As a result of flawed financial planning I slipped into arrears with remittance. I negotiated a clearance schedule but there remains a couple of currently due.

I now wish to sell and I am nervous that this can hold me back if I have to settle the amount due in advance. I'd like to sell up and then discharge the debt from the proceeds - is this viable?

Do speak with the solicitor carrying out your Tunbridge Wells conveyancing but it may be possible to arrange for the arrears to be passed to the buyers. The final price payable would be adjusted to reflect the amount of debt they take on. They could then deal with the arrears following completion of the purchase.