Do lenders provide you with an approved list of West Malling conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel?

West Malling conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Aldermore directly.

We're in West Malling, First timers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is TSB , and our solicitor is on the TSB conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the TSB conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancing practitioner should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

3 months have elapsed since my purchase conveyancing in West Malling completed. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £160,000. 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.

My husband and I are FTB’s - had an offer accepted, but the property agent has warned us that the vendor will only proceed if we instruct the agent's recommended lawyers as they need an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family solicitor used to conveyancing in West Malling

It is improbable the vendors are driving this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', turning down a motivated buyer is going to damage their objectives. Speak to the owners direct and make the point that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to go, with mortgage lined up © you are unencumbered (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you intend to use your preferred West Malling conveyancing lawyers - rather thanthe ones that will provide their negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or achieve conveyancing thresholds set by head office.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in West Malling. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in West Malling ?

The majority of houses in West Malling are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in West Malling in which case you should be shopping around for a West Malling conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will advise you fully on all the issues.

I purchased a ground floor flat in West Malling, conveyancing having been completed in 1997. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in West Malling with over 90 years remaining are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 2093

With only 67 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £10,500 and £12,000 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.