We are buying a newbuild apartment in Goodwick with a mortgage from Barclays Direct.We like our Goodwick conveyancing practitioner but Barclays Direct says his firm is not listed on their approved list of member firms. It seems we are left with little choice but to instruct a Barclays Direct panel firm or retain our local solicitor and pay for a Barclays Direct panel lawyer to represent them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that Barclays Direct use our lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage issued to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors will be on the Barclays Direct conveyancing panel. in the past, most mortgage companies had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Barclays Direct

We have agreed to purchase a house in Goodwick. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Co-operative 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 Co-operative your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions set out in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Co-operative. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook sets out minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Co-operative where a lease fails to meet these conditions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Goodwick.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Goodwick. I have a mortgage offer with Lloyds. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Lloyds, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.

I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in April 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Nationwide are being pedantic. The Goodwick solicitor who is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Nationwide are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Nationwide have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Nationwide have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Nationwide may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Goodwick?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Goodwick. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

My husband and I are four weeks into a leasehold purchase having been referred to a firm by the local agent to do our conveyancing in Goodwick. I am am extremely disappointed with the quality of service. Can you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?

A lawyer would have to be very bad to suggest replacing them. Has your mortgage been sent? If so you need to inform them of the new contact details and have the mortgage documents are re-issued. Your conveyancer needs to be on the banks panel to avoid supplemental costs and complications. So that should be your starting point. The search tool can assist you in finding a bank approved conveyancer for your home move in Goodwick

I have just started marketing my basement flat in Goodwick.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you clear the invoice as normal given that all rents and service invoices will be allottedon completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially