Do I have to attend the offices of the solicitor to sign the legal charge? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Yate so that I can attend their offices when needed.

Nowadays conveyancing panel lawyers for lenders conduct the vast majority of communications through the post, e-mail or over phone calls. This means that they can undertake the legal work for your home move regardless of where you live in the country. That being said you should see if you have the option of attending the offices of your conveyancing lawyer if you prefer.

We are getting the release of further funds on our mortgage from Bank of Ireland as we want to conduct improvements to our house in Yate. Do we need to select a nearby Yate solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel to handle the legals?

Bank of Ireland do not ordinarily instruct a member of their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Yate. I have a mortgage agreed with Barclays. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Barclays, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel.

Our sealed bid on a semi in Yate has been agreed to, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on on an apartment, but it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other properties in the pipeline. I have selected a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Yate. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage application with Clydesdale started?

It is understandable to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then valuation, Yate conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you should ensure that your conveyancer is on the Clydesdale approved list. Concerning the next stages this very much depends on the uniqueness of your transaction, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. In a hot market many buyers would apply for a home loan with Clydesdale and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to move forward with the conveyancing in Yate.

I am purchasing a new build house in Yate with the aid of help to buy. The sellers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative advised me not disclose to my conveyancer about the side-deal as it will jeopardize my mortgage with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Yate is the location of the property. Can you offer any opinion?

Flying freeholds in Yate are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Yate you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Yate may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Yate. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Yate ?

Most houses in Yate are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Yate in which case you should be looking for a Yate conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

I purchased a ground floor flat in Yate, conveyancing formalities finalised December 1995. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Yate with an extended lease are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2090

With just 70 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.