IfI were to acquire a simple residential homein Boldon for cash and dispense with a survey and no conveyancing searches how much could I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Boldon?

Any savings you would achieve would be limited to the disbursement for searches. A lawyer is obliged to do the vast majority of work - money laundering, liaising with your sellers conveyancer, stamp duty submission, register the ownership etc. A marginal saving might be made by not needing to register a mortgage but it won't be a lot.

I am helping my step-mother sell her property in Boldon. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange the energy performance certificate or do I organise this?

After the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was retained a compulsory component of selling a property. An energy assessment needs to be commissioned before the property is put on the market. This is not something that solicitors normally organise. Where you are using a Boldon conveyancing practitioner they may be able to arrange energy performance certificates due to their relationships with reputable Boldon energy assessors

is it true that all Boldon solicitor practices on the Nottingham conveyancing panel are governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Nottingham conveyancing panel they would need to be overseen by the SRA. Some mortgage companies do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Boldon. I have a mortgage offer with Nottingham. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. 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 Nottingham, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Nottingham conveyancing panel.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Boldon. Now, I need the files however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Boldon of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £245,000 and found one near me in Boldon I like with open areas and station nearby, however it's only got 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Boldon suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could 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 term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

In scouring the internet for the term conveyancing in Boldon it reveals many conveyancersin the vicinity. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable solicitor for the sale of my house?

The ideal method of choosing a suitable conveyancer is via trusted referral, so seek the guidance of friends and family who have bought a property in Boldon or a reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Boldon differ, so it's a good idea to secure at least four estimates from different property lawyers. Be sure to obtain confirmation that the charges are assured not to to be inflated.