My fiancee and I are acquiring our first home. Our conveyancer has calledto check if we wish to purchase additional conveyancing searches. Frankly we are clueless as to what's needed for conveyancing in Headington

The extent of Headington conveyancing searches should be dictated primarily on the premises, the location, the likelihood of any of these risks, your familiarity of the locality and risks, your general approach to risk. What is important is that you properly understand what information the searches could supply. You may then decide if you personally think you need that search. Should you be uncertain, ask your property lawyer to advise.

There are a variety of conveyancing solicitors in Headington but how do I know who I should use?

We would encourage you not to go for the lowest Headington conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.

I am planning to move house in April. Should my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the day of completion. On a separate note, can you put forward a removal company in Headington. Conveyancing lawyer was organised before I stumbled across this page.

On the afternoon of completion you can pick up the keys from the selling agent but this can only be done when the previous owners solicitors confirm to the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be handed over. Subsequently you can tell the removal company that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a specific removal company but can assist you in choosing a conveyancing in Headington or a legal practice that specialises in conveyancing in Headington.

How can we know in advance if a Headington conveyancing solicitor on the Nottingham panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Headington getting recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always suggest that you speak with the solicitor conducting your conveyancing.

My friend suggested that if I am buying in Headington I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is sometimes included in the estimate for your Headington conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Headington around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Headington Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data concerning Headington.

Me and my brother have a semi-detached Victorian property in Headington. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Godiva Mortgages Ltd. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

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

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Headington with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Headington can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
A minority of Headington leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers. Many landlords or Management Companies in Headington levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Headington. If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Headington home move. If a reissued share certificate is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

I purchased a split level flat in Headington, conveyancing was carried out 4 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable flats in Headington with an extended lease are worth £260,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2100

You have 74 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £8,600 and £9,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.