Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Aldeburgh is not identified on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of the firm’s work?

It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should simply call the Aldeburgh conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.

When it comes to lenders such as Lloyds, do Aldeburgh lawyers have to pay an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any lender fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

We previously instructed solicitors locally in Aldeburgh on the Bank of Ireland solicitor approved list. They have just billed me a supplemental amount for handling the Bank of Ireland mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Bank of Ireland?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your property lawyer is entitled to charge a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Bank of Ireland but by your Aldeburgh solicitor. Some firms on the Bank of Ireland panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but plenty of practices include it on their overall fee.

I'm in the throws of viewing flats in Aldeburgh and I am about to put in an offer. Is it best to have a solicitor on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a mortgage with RBS.

You should start requesting conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the selling agent. Given that you are taking out a mortgage with RBS, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the RBS conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I was advised by three or four local property agents in Aldeburgh to find a property lawyer using your seach tool. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to offer your lawyers over alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to make any financial incentive for sending work to this site. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Aldeburgh. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation 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. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure 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).

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Aldeburgh, conveyancing was carried out in 1995. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Aldeburgh with an extended lease are worth £211,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2092

You have 68 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do 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 clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

I am searching for an affordable conveyancing lawyer in Aldeburgh to assist me in selling my place. I really don't want to get ripped off but with various Aldeburgh conveyancing solicitors to pick from...how do I know which one is best to select?

To fee estimates for your move via conveyancing firms that provide services in Aldeburgh please use our quote tool.