My father advised me that in purchasing a property in Windsor there could be a number of restrictions preventing external changes to a property. Is this right?

We are aware of anumerous of properties in Windsor which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Windsor should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I have been advised by my solicitor that absentee landlord insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Windsor?

The right level of absentee landlord indemnity insurance should be dictated by who who your lender is. It would differ for example between Halifax and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to borrowers take out such policies.

We previously instructed solicitors based in Windsor on the Skipton solicitor approved list. They have just billed me a separate amount for handling the Skipton mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Skipton?

Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your solicitor can charge a fee for this. The fee is not set by Skipton but by your Windsor lawyer. Some firms on the Skipton panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.

It has been four months since my purchase conveyancing in Windsor concluded. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £180,000. 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.

About to purchase a new build flat in Windsor. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Here are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Windsor

Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose?

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in Windsor I like with a park and station nearby, however it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Windsor suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

Are there any specific benefits to choosing a local solicitor in Windsor

Many purchasers and sellers in Windsor select a local solicitor so that they can attend the firm’s offices just in case they have questions, and to execute paperwork rather than run the risk of depending on the post.

One could suggest that there exists a marginal edge in using a lawyer local to the house you are purchasing, due to the in-depth knowledge of the locality and potential local issues - nevertheless this is debatable. The majority of conveyancers carry out their communications online and could be any place in the world.