The Enderby conveyancing lawyers that just started acting on my house acquisition in Enderby have suddenly closed. I chose them because I needed a firm on the Skipton conveyancing panel and my preferred Enderby lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take one hundred and fifty pounds for searches. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Skipton conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors should be in a position to assist.

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Bank of Ireland. Enderby conveyancing practitioners have been appointed. How long does it take for Bank of Ireland to issue the offer to the solicitor?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Bank of Ireland done the valuation? Have you advised Bank of Ireland as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I currently have a mortgage with Coventry BS for my property in Enderby. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Coventry BS?

Coventry BS must be informed of your intention prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Coventry BS’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Coventry BS will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Coventry BS directly. You need not do this via a Coventry BS conveyancing panel solicitor.

At last I have had an offer on a maisonette in Enderby agreed to, the sellers do however have a connected purchase. The owners have offered on somewhere, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have selected a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Enderby. What should be my next step? When do I get the mortgage application with Yorkshire BS going?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (home loan application is approx £1k, then survey, Enderby conveyancing search fees, etc). The first thing to do is check that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Concerning the next steps this very much depends on the uniqueness of your case, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market many home buyers will apply for a home loan with Yorkshire BS and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their property lawyer to press on with the conveyancing in Enderby.

Will our solicitor be raising enquiries concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Enderby.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors specialising in conveyancing in Enderby. There are those who buy a property in Enderby, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Solicitors are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, but there are a various searches that can be initiated by the purchaser or by their lawyers which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Enderby. The standard property information forms supplied to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a usual question of the owner to find out whether the property has suffered from flooding. If the property has been flooded in past and is not disclosed by the seller, then a purchaser may issue a claim for damages as a result of such an misleading answer. The buyer’s lawyers may also order an environmental search. This should disclose if there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be initiated.

I am purchasing a new build house in Enderby with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not disclose to my solicitor about this side-deal as it would put at risk my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Enderby conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Enderby conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Enderby conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be of use:

What volume of lease extensions has the firm completed in Enderby in the last 12 months?

I acquired a basement flat in Enderby, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1998. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar flats in Enderby with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease ceases on 21st October 2076

With 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £32,300 and £37,400 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range above 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 detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues 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 seeking the advice of a professional.