I am five weeks into the sale of my home in Haywards Heath and the EA has just text me to say that the purchasers are appointing a new solicitor. The excuse is that the lender will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major lender only deal with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Haywards Heath ?

UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for many years.

Lenders point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any impact on this.

Various web forums that I have visited warn that are a common cause of obstruction in Haywards Heath conveyancing transactions. Is that correct?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the most frequent causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Haywards Heath.

Is it possible to switch firm as I need to select one who is on the Lloyds TSB Bank conveyancing panel. I instructed a local conveyancing solicitor in Haywards Heath round the corner but she is not accepted by Lloyds TSB Bank

It would be our pleasure to help you find a conveyancing solicitor in Haywards Heath on the Lloyds TSB Bank panel. Please note that the law firms that we list do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are under regulation of the Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Haywards Heath. In making use of the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this website, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Haywards Heath.

I am employed by a busy estate agent office in Haywards Heath where we have witnessed a few leasehold sales put at risk due to short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Haywards Heath conveyancing firms. Can you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

I inherited a studio flat in Haywards Heath, conveyancing was carried out August 2009. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Haywards Heath with a long lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2085

You have 61 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £19,000 and £22,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.

My step-mother purchased her house in Haywards Heath Six years past. She has since got married, widowed and has recently remarried. She wishes to sell the property in a few months. I believe she will simply be need to provide a copy of her marriage certificates to the solicitor however she is worried it could delay the house move. Should she instruct a conveyancer to update the land title details for the property?

It is not absolutely necessary to update the title for the property on the basis that you have the proof needed to show how the change of name has come about.

Any buyer’s conveyancing practitioner will review the registered information and need evidence to prove the name change for example marriage certificates.