Is the fact that my conveyancer in Haddenham is not listed on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s conveyancing?

It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Haddenham conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

I am acquiring a property without a mortgage in Haddenham. I have lived for the last 20 years in Haddenham. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. Given that I know the area and road intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

If you not getting a mortgage, then the vast majority of the Haddenham conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your lawyer will 'advise', no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches carried out, but she has a professional duty to take that path of guidance. Do consider; if you are likely to sell the house in the future, it could be of relevance to your future buyer what the searches disclose. There are plenty of instances where premises with day to day issues can still reveal adverse search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Haddenham will provide you some practical guidance in this regard.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £195,000 and found one close by in Haddenham I like with open areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Haddenham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my father I am disposing of a property in Neath but I am based in Haddenham. My solicitor (who is 200 kilometers from merequires that I sign a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Haddenham to witness and place their company stamp on the document?

strictly speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are located in Haddenham

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed flat in Haddenham. Conveyancing has not commenced, however I have just received a yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you clear the invoice as normal as all ground rent and maintenance invoices should be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Haddenham, conveyancing having been completed May 2009. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Haddenham with an extended lease are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 2087

With only 61 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £18,100 and £20,800 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.