I am purchasing a property in Ferring and Goring. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. UBS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is UBS your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for UBS. The CML Handbook includes minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to UBS where a lease does not comply with these requirements. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Ferring and Goring.

I have a mortgage with Leeds Building Society for my property in Ferring and Goring. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Leeds Building Society?

You must advise Leeds Building Society in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Leeds Building Society’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Leeds Building Society 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 Leeds Building Society directly. You need not do this via a Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel firm.

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Ferring and Goring. My financial adviser suggested a property lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £150. Soon after, the solicitor contacted me to say that they were not on the RBS conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the RBS panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I am downsizing from our house in Ferring and Goring and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. A high street Ferring and Goring lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed an online conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Ferring and Goring. Having lived in Ferring and Goring for six years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer already. What do they say? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same illness)

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one round the corner in Ferring and Goring I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Ferring and Goring for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

How straightforward is it to use the search facility to choose a conveyancing practitioner in Ferring and Goring on the authorised to act for my bank?

First choose a bank such as Accord Mortgages Ltd, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society or TSB then specify your location for example Ferring and Goring. Conveyancing organisations in Ferring and Goring and across England and Wales should be listed.

I happen to be an executor of my recently deceased mum’s Will, with a house in Ferring and Goring which is to be marketed. The house has never been registered at HMLR and I'm told that some purchasers will insist that it is in place before they'll proceed. What's the procedure for this?

In the situation that you have set out it seems prudent to seek to register in the names of the personal representative(s) as named in the probate and in their capacity as PRs. The Land Registry’s online guidance explains how to register for the first time and what is required re the deeds and forms. You would need to include and certified copy of the probate as well and complete the form FR1 to refer to the PRs as the applicant.