Me and my partner are about to complete buying a house in Wigan but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have was able negotiate recompense from the current proprietors of £2k taking the form of a reduction in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process however Virgin Money will not agree to this. Should they have been informed?

Any solicitor being on a Virgin Money approved list is obliged to advise Virgin Money of any amendments to the sale price. If you prohibit your solicitor to notify the price change to Virgin Money then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Virgin Money and you would have to appoint a new property lawyer for your conveyancing in Wigan.

Completed the sale of my flat in Wigan last April yet the purchaser is telephoning daily to say their lawyer needs to hear from mine. What are the post completion sale legalities following completion?

Following your sale your lawyer should deliver the transfer deeds and all supplemental paperwork to the purchaser's lawyers. Depending on the transaction, your lawyer should also confirm that the mortgage has been redeemed to the buyers lawyers. There are no post completion formalities peculiar conveyancing in Wigan.

What happens if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Nationwide Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Wigan?

The first thing to point out is that, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.

I am planning on selling our home in Wigan and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. Any local lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers used a web based conveyancing outfit rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Wigan. Having lived in Wigan for 5 years we know of no issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to get clarification that there is no issue.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

I am intending to sublet my leasehold apartment in Wigan. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Some leases for properties in Wigan do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

I purchased a basement flat in Wigan, conveyancing formalities finalised December 2012. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent properties in Wigan with an extended lease are worth £255,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2098

You have 73 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus 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 a more accurate figure without more 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 move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.