I am hoping to complete my purchase in Woodingdean next Tuesday. My lawyer now wants me to supply her with evidence of content and building insurance for the property as as she informs me that she is duty bound to validate that it is in order for the mortgage company. What risks does the bank expect the insurance to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for banks would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. These obligations are not unique to conveyancing in Woodingdean.

Are the Woodingdean conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the RBS conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by RBS?

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

I require fast conveyancing in Woodingdean as I am faced with an ultimatum to exchange contracts inside 4 weeks. A mortgage is not required. Is it possible to avoid the conveyancing searches to save money and time?

If.Given you are are a cash purchaser you have the choice not to do searches although no solicitor would advise that you don't. Drawing on our experience of conveyancing in Woodingdean the following are examples of what can be revealed and therefore impact the marketability of the property: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Fees, Outstanding Grants, Railway Schemes,...

Am I best advised to use a Woodingdean conveyancing practitioner based in the location that I am buying? I have an old university friend who can perform the legal formalities but her office is 300miles drive away.

The benefit of a local Woodingdean conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to execute documents, present your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust used your friend and the majority were happy that should outweigh using an unfamiliar Woodingdean conveyancing lawyer just because they are round the corner.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Woodingdean from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Woodingdean can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Woodingdean state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. Should you fail to have the approvals in place you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in advance. If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing. A minority of Woodingdean leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.

I bought a studio flat in Woodingdean, conveyancing having been completed March 1995. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Woodingdean with a long lease are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease expires on 21st October 2085

With 67 years left to run the likely cost is going to be 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 the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you 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.