We have rather brash vendors who has recommended a exclusivity contract with a deposit 6,000. Are such agreements sensible?

This kind of arrangement isn't frequently used in Windermere, conveyancers are not keen on them as they detract from the main conveyancing focus and if you end up losing your deposit then the lawyer at best left with an upset client and at worst a litigious one. Secondly, there is no assurance that just because the owner has signed an exclusivity agreement they will complete the sale with you. They may be in contravention of the agreement if they receive a big enough incentive to do so because a wronged buyer with the benefit of a exclusivity agreement will still be duty bound to show losses as a consequence of the breach and these may not equalise the extra amount that your vendor may obtain by reneging on the contract, however morally condemnable the behaviour is.

My friend recommended that where I am buying in Windermere I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Windermere conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Windermere around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Windermere Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data concerning Windermere.

The deeds to my home can not be found. The lawyers who conducted the conveyancing in Windermere 4 years ago no longer exist. Will I be able to sell the house?

You no longer need to hold title original deeds to prove you own the land or property, given that the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

What does commercial conveyancing in Windermere cover?

Windermere conveyancing for business premises covers a wide array of advice, supplied by regulated solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the transfer of existing business tenancies or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of leases.

Are there common problems that you see in leases for Windermere properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Windermere. Most leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain clauses are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

A duty to insure the building Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.

You will have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Nationwide Building Society, Coventry Building Society, and TSB all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to pull out.

I am the registered owner of a 2 bed flat in Windermere, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar flats in Windermere with over 90 years remaining are worth £171,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2102

With just 79 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.