I sincerely hope you can help me. My Astwood Bank solicitor is assuring me that he is legally obliged toorder Astwood Bank conveyancing searches due to the fact thatthe firm are on the HSBCconveyancing panel. Is this really necessary?

You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your solicitor would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Astwood Bank conveyancing searches.

Various web forums that I have come across warn that are the primary cause of obstruction in Astwood Bank conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the common causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in Astwood Bank.

3 months have gone by following my purchase conveyancing in Astwood Bank concluded. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £215,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

About to purchase a new build apartment in Astwood Bank. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Astwood Bank

Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Please supply a car parking plan. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme.

Taking into account that I am about to spend £400,000 on a property in Astwood Bank I wish to have a conversation with the conveyancer concerning theconveyancing prior to instructing the firm. Can this be arranged?

Absolutely - we would be happy to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the conveyancer who will be doing your conveyancing in Astwood Bank.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a file reference. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in Astwood Bank should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.