We were about to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in West Sussex found on your site but stumbled across some other estimates via the web look less expensive – how come?

There are plenty of conveyancers offering theoretically looks to be very low prices. Our recommendation is to think long and hard as to how important this transaction is to you that you are willing to be penny wise pound foolish concerning the standard of the conveyancing. Some embed fees deep into the terms of business. The solicitors that we list for conveyancing in West Sussex will notbehave this way.

It is is a decade since I purchased my home in West Sussex. Conveyancing lawyers have now been appointed on the sale but I can't find my title documents. Will this jeopardise the sale?

Don’t worry too much. First there is a chance that the deeds will be kept by the mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who acted in the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring current official copies of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in West Sussex involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

I am purchasing a right to buy a flat in West Sussex. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in West Sussex you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in West Sussex.

I am selling my property. My past conveyancers closed down. It would be helpful to have a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in West Sussex if that makes a difference.

You should use our search tool to help you find a solicitor for your conveyancing in West Sussex. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with regulated solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes with a minimum of fuss.

I am attracted to a two maisonettes in West Sussex which have in the region of 50 years unexpired on the lease term. should I be concerned?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in West Sussex is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the salability of the premises. For most purchasers and banks, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with West Sussex conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I own a basement flat in West Sussex, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding properties in West Sussex with a long lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 yearly. The lease finishes on 21st October 2081

With only 61 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £19,000 and £22,000 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive 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 considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.