Yes backlinks will still be there I done the same redirected for around 3 months and checked I still have all the backlinks I originally had before redirecting.

I wouldn't leave it for too long if you still plan on using it. The rank does drop quite a bit when you redirect for too long.

In this situation I would not redirect tho. Just download all your files and folders sql tables etc and edit your site on localhost whilst still having the original available online. Once you have finished just upload. This way you will be %100 safe. Good luck.

The links will still count, this is one of the reasons 301-chaining works.

Yes, 301 redirect will definitely help in this case (just don't put it off for too long - the faster you redirect your old pages to the new ones, the better).

Also, in order to gear up the process of redirecting, we advise you to submit your old domain sitemap to Google and Bing. This will make these engines crawl your old URLs, see that they have 301 redirects and change their index faster.

Consequently, backlinks to the old pages will be redirected to the new ones.

i think itll retain the backlinks...unless you have got the redirect all wrong...everything i should be working fine!! take care!!