The plumber
We are converting our loft, adding a shower room. Our existing showers have booster pumps — they are a little noisy, but perform well. Our builder has suggested fitting a combination boiler, but says we will need to take the pumps out if we fit one. The mains water pressure isn’t great.
AL, by email
Installing a good-quality combination boiler is a must — there is usually a direct correlation between the cost and the volume of hot water it is able to produce. To run two showers at the same time, you need a boiler capable of delivering at least 18 litres a minute. Your builder is right to say that you cannot fit shower booster pumps directly onto mains water distribution pipework. We routinely install a product called MainsBoost, which stores mains water in a pressurised vessel. This stabilises the pressure and boosts flow rates to the combination boiler, thus improving the pressure of the hot water.
Grahame Crew is general manager at WPJ Heating; wpjheating.co.uk
The solicitor
We would like to purchase the freehold on our home of 35 years before we put it up for sale. We have not been billed for the ground rent for more than 20 years as the accountants in charge of collecting it said it would cost more to collect than the value of the rent (it was less than £20 a year). Are there specialist firms of solicitors who deal with this kind of work?
RC, by email
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The right to purchase the freehold of a house is known as “enfranchisement”. The cost of acquiring the freehold may depend on the length and the terms of the lease which you currently have. In some parts of the country, long leasehold houses are more common than others, but, generally speaking, the sale value of a freehold will be higher than a leasehold for the same property so it is well worth exploring.
Non-payment of ground rent should not be a problem. The landlord probably cannot claim more than six years in back rent but, at £20 a year, that is a relatively small sum. You will need to establish who owns the freehold, which may be easy if it is registered. If it is unregistered and not possible to ascertain who owns it, a court can order that the freehold be transferred to you. You will need advice from a specialist solicitor; contact the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Professionals (alep.org.uk).
Jonathan Smithers is a partner at CooperBurnett (CooperBurnett.com), and is vice-president of the Law Society of England and Wales
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