It is is a decade since I acquired my property in Winterbourne. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been instructed on the sale but I am unable to find my deeds. Is this a problem?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be with your lender or they may be archived with the solicitor who handled your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining current official copies of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Winterbourne relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

I am buying a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in Winterbourne who is on the Accord Mortgages Ltd solicitor. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Accord Mortgages Ltd in certain locations such as Winterbourne. We dont recommend any particular firm.

A friend recommended that where I am buying in Winterbourne I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is occasionally included in the estimate for your Winterbourne conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Winterbourne around the property and the people living there. It incorporates 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, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Winterbourne.

How straightforward is it to use the search tool to select a conveyancing solicitor in Winterbourne on the authorised to act for my bank?

1st select a lender such as HSBC Bank, Coventry Building Society or Nottingham Building Society then type in your location e.g. Winterbourne. Conveyancing firms in Winterbourne and nationally should be listed.

Completion is due on our sale of a £250,000 flat in Winterbourne in 10 days. The managing agents has quoted £396 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Winterbourne?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Winterbourne conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

Completing conveyancing due diligence questions Where consent is required before sale in Winterbourne Copies of the building insurance and schedule Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Winterbourne leasehold premises is £350. For Winterbourne conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide the information.

I inherited a 2 bed flat in Winterbourne, conveyancing was carried out May 2007. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Winterbourne with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 2076

With just 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £32,300 and £37,400 plus costs.

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 comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.