What will a local search reveal concerning the house I am purchasing in Woolton?

Woolton conveyancing often commences with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations for example Onsearch The local search plays a central part in many a Woolton conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty once you have moved into your new home. The search should supply information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject sections.

My wife and I have a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Woolton. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and HSBC Bank. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Woolton and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who carried out the work.

In surfing the internet for the words conveyancing in Woolton it shows results of many conveyancersin the area. How do I determine which is the right property lawyer for my move?

The preferential way of choosing a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted recommendation, so seek the counsel of colleagues and those you trust who have acquired a property in Woolton or the respected estate agent or financial adviser. Costs for conveyancing in Woolton differ, so it's a good idea to obtain a minimum of three quotes from different companies. Be sure to secure confirmation that the charges are guaranteed not to to be inflated.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of maisonettes in Woolton which have approximately 50 years unexpired on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Woolton is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. For most purchasers and mortgage companies, leases with under eighty years become less and less attractive. 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 premises 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 Woolton 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. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new 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 invested in buying a leasehold flat in Woolton, conveyancing was carried out in 1997. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Woolton with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2082

With only 56 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £29,500 and £34,000 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.

It has taken forever and a day but a mortgage offer from a mortgage company for the remortgage of my 2 bedroom apartment is expected any day now. Are you able to recommend an efficient remortgage conveyancing lawyer in Woolton ?

You have come to the wrong place to search for a cheap conveyancing in Woolton. Our aim is to provide value for money conveyancing but our intention is not to work with the cheapest lawyers. Resist the temptation to appoint brokers offering low cost conveyancing in Woolton.At best, in going for cheap conveyancing, you will get what you pay for and at worst you will end up invoiced for extras and still not get the service you were looking for.