I am nearing exchange of contracts for my house in Barrow upon Humber and the EA has just telephoned to say that the purchasers are appointing a new law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the bank will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Barrow upon Humber ?

Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for over 25 years.

Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices 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 not going to have any sway in the decision.

There are a variety of conveyancing solicitors in Barrow upon Humber but how do I know who's good?

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Barrow upon Humber conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

Can you point me to a directory of Aldermore panel solicitors in Barrow upon Humber on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?

No. There is no such facility on the CML or Building Society Association websites. A small selection of mortgage companies make their panel listings viewable on the web. If you are looking for a Barrow upon Humber conveyancing practitioner on the Aldermore please use our tool.

How can we tell if a Barrow upon Humber conveyancing solicitor on the Skipton panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Barrow upon Humber obtaining recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer handling your conveyancing.

Various internet forums that I have come across warn that are the primary reason for stalling in Barrow upon Humber conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Barrow upon Humber.

I am purchasing my first flat in Barrow upon Humber with a loan from Alliance & Leicester . The builders would not reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent advised me not inform my lawyer about the deal as it may adversely affect my loan with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I would like to rent out my leasehold apartment in Barrow upon Humber. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Notwithstanding that your last Barrow upon Humber conveyancing solicitor is not available you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to obtain permission from your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. Such consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I inherited a leasehold flat in Barrow upon Humber, conveyancing having been completed 6 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Barrow upon Humber with an extended lease are worth £171,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2098

With 79 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £7,600 and £8,800 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.