I am progressing with the sale of my flat in Yarmouth and the EA has just called to advise that the purchasers are changing their solicitor. The reason given is that the lender will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only engage with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Yarmouth ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Lenders justify this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms 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 purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Yarmouth. I I am struggling to find out whether they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Can you or the lender confirm if they are on the panel?

You should phone the lawyer and enquire whether they are on the lender panel. Alternatively please call Virgin Money who may be able to help.

There is lots of here about conveyancing in Yarmouth but what is your top tip for appointing the right conveyancer in Yarmouth

It would be unwise to be swayed by the lowest Yarmouth conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.

We are getting the release of further monies on our home loan from Nationwide as we wish to conduct alterations to our house in Yarmouth. Do we need to choose a bricks and mortar Yarmouth solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?

Nationwide would not normally appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nationwide panel.

Intending to buy a apartment in Yarmouth. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Santander conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Yarmouth conveyancing practitioner is on the Santander conveyancing panel.

Do I need to pay for insurance to address the risk of chancel repairs when acquiring a house in Yarmouth?

Unless a previous acquisition of the premises completed after 12 October 2013 you can take it that lawyers conducting conveyancing in Yarmouth to remain encouraging a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

Last September I purchased a leasehold flat in Yarmouth. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Yarmouth Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Many Yarmouth leasehold properties will incur a service charge for maintenance of the building invoiced by the freeholder. If you purchase the flat you will have to meet this charge, usually periodically during the year. This may vary from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common areas. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, ordinarily this is not a large figure, say around £50-£100 but you should to check as occasionally it could be surprisingly expensive. Is anyone aware of any major works in the near future that will add a premium to the service charges? What is the service charge and ground rent on the flat?