I am considering applying for a Bank of Ireland mortgage for purchase of a newly converted (under development) in Wickford with 65 per cent loan to value. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for Bank of Ireland ?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel, but Bank of Ireland would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.

Have just purchased a repossessed house at auction in Wickford. Conveyancing is needed. What are my next steps?

Having legally bound yourself to purchase you will need to retain a conveyancing lawyer as a matter of urgency as you now have a tight a drop dead date to complete the purchase. Every auction property will ordinarily have a corresponding legal set of papers. This should include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. Where you are dealing with leasehold premises the legal pack should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation specific to a leasehold property. You must pass this on to the lawyer instructed by you as soon as possible. You also need to ensure that your finances are in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

My husband and I have organised a further advance on our mortgage from Santander as we want to carry out alterations to our property in Wickford. Are we obliged to appoint a bricks and mortar Wickford solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?

Santander would not normally require a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Santander list.

At last I have had an offer on a flat in Wickford accepted, but there is a chain. The owners have offered on somewhere, however it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other properties in the pipeline. I have instructed a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Wickford. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with Lloyds started?

It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Wickford conveyancing search costs, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your solicitor is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent stages this very much dictated by the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot market some buyers will apply for a home loan with Lloyds and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their conveyancing practitioner to move forward with searches.

What will a local search reveal about the property we're purchasing in Wickford?

Wickford conveyancing often commences with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations such as Searchflow The local search is essential in every Wickford conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search will reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject sections.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, no chain conveyancing. Wickford is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Wickford are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Wickford you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Wickford may determine 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 am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Wickford. Before diving in I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Wickford - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I inherited a studio flat in Wickford, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2008. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable properties in Wickford with an extended lease are worth £191,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 2080

You have 54 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £31,400 and £36,200 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs 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 issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.