My partner and I are hoping to acquire a flat in Ackworth and have appointed a Ackworth conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with the expectation that exchange is imminent. HSBC Bank have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Ackworth solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?

Where you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Ackworth solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

Last July we completed a house move in Ackworth. We have noticed several issues with the property which we believe were overlooked in the conveyancing searches. What action can we take? What searches should? have been carried out as part of conveyancing in Ackworth?

It is not clear from the question as what problems have arisen and if they are specific to conveyancing in Ackworth. Conveyancing searches and due diligence undertaken as part of the buying process are carried out to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, the vendor fills in a document known as a SPIF. answers provided is incorrect, you may have a misrepresentation claim against the owner for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Ackworth.

Various online forums that I have come across warn that are the primary reason for delay in Ackworth conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the top 10 causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Ackworth.

How does conveyancing in Ackworth differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Ackworth approach us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is finished. This is because builders in Ackworth typically purchase the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Ackworth or who has acted in the same development.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Ackworth conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Ackworth conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non Ackworth conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be helpful:

How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Ackworth - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

It would be sensible to discover as much as possible about the company managing the block as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily matters such as the tidiness of the common parts. Enquire of other tenants if they are happy with their service. Finally, find out the dates that the maintenance charges are due to the appropriate party and specifically what it includes. How much is the ground rent and service charge? Please note that where the lease has no more than eighty years it will impact the value of the apartment. Check with your mortgage company that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this would cost. For most Ackworthlease extensions you would need to own the property for 24 months before you are legally able to exercise a lease extension.