I am progressing with the sale of my house in Welton and the estate agent has just e-mailed to say that the purchasers are appointing a new property lawyer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the mortgage company will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only work with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Welton ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 25 years.

Lending institutions justify this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are not going to have any impact on this.

Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a searchable register to to identify solicitors on the Melton Mowbray Building Society conveyancing panel for example in Welton?

We have not been informed any intention on the part of the BSA to promote such a tool.

What can a local search tell me about the property we're purchasing in Welton?

Welton conveyancing often commences with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for example PSG The local search plays a central part in most Welton conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search should supply information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic headings.

My husband and I are novice buyers - agreed a price, yet the property agent advised that the vendor will only move forward if we use their chosen lawyers as they need a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local solicitor who is accustomed to conveyancing in Welton

We suspect that the owner is not behind this ultimatum. If they require ‘a quick sale', alienating a genuine buyer is counter productive. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to go, with finances in place © you are chain free (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you will continue to instruct your own,trusted Welton conveyancing lawyers - as opposed tothose that will give the estate agent a introducer fee or hit his conveyancing figures set by head office.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Welton conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Welton conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Welton conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be helpful:

If they are not ALEP accredited then why not? How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in Welton in the last 12 months?

I purchased a leasehold flat in Welton, conveyancing was carried out September 1996. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable properties in Welton with over 90 years remaining are worth £206,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 2090

You have 66 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £12,400 and £14,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.