Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Barrow In Furness is not identified on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of his conveyancing?

It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (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. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Barrow In Furness conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Barrow In Furness. I I am struggling to find out if they are accepted on the Nottingham Building Society conveyancing panel. Can you advise?

You should e-mail the lawyer and ask them whether they are on the lender panel. Alternatively you can call Nottingham Building Society who may be able to assist.

I'm converting the mortgage on my current house to a BTL mortgage with Barclays and intend to use the remaining equity as a down payment on a second house. The area we are interested in is Barrow In Furness. Will your lawyers be able to act for the two lenders and tie in the conveyances?

Make use of our comparison tool on this site to be sure that the conveyancers are approved by both lenders. Assuming that they are the conveyancer should be able to tie up the two transactions but you should have a chat with you solicitor and make apparent your desired outcome and needs.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Barrow In Furness both have approximately 50 years left on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Barrow In Furness is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the salability of the property. The majority of purchasers and banks, leases with less than eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Barrow In Furness conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Barrow In Furness - A selection of Queries before buying

Is there a share of the freehold? The best form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the tenants enjoy being in charge if their destiny and notwithstanding that a managing agent is usually retained where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. How much is the ground rent and service charge?

Me and my husband accepted an offer on a Barrow In Furness property we inherited seven years ago in 2009. I have over 15 years conveyancing knowledge and, now retired, wish to carry out the conveyancing. The buyer's conveyancer has informed me that their Lenders will not allow us to do our own conveyancing insisting the funds to be sent to a solicitor's bank account.

Mortgage requirements to solicitors from all mainstream lenders specify that If the seller is not legally represented the borrower's lawyers should check whether the mortgage company needs to be notified so that a decision can be made if they are prepared to progress.