It is 10 years ago since I acquired my home in Bedfont. Conveyancing lawyers have just been retained on the sale but I can't locate my deeds. Is this a major issue?

Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a chance that the deeds will be with the lender or they could still be with the lawyers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Bedfont involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it is more of a problem but is resolvable.

We just had an offer accepted to purchase with Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. I went into a couple of high street solicitors yet cant to find a Bedfont conveyancing firm on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society panel. Please you help?

Feel free to take advantage of the find a conveyancing panel solicitor tool on this web page. Pick the building society and type Bedfont or your preferred area and you will see numerous conveyancers based in Bedfont or by proximity to you.

I am purchasing a 3 bedroom semi in Bedfont. We would like to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will the conveyancing process involve investigations to determine if these alterations were previously refused?

Your conveyancer should check the registered title as conveyancing in Bedfont can sometimes reveal restrictions in the title deeds which restrict certain changes or require the consent of another owner. Many works need local authority planning consent and approval under the building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be wise to check these things with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.

Is it the case that all Bedfont solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Some lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the practice would be governed by the CLC.

Having digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Bedfont solicitor - who is on the Skipton conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Skipton will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Skipton will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Bedfont surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that could affect a commercial site in Bedfont?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Bedfont will conduct a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers expend in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Bedfont. The report provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Bedfont.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Bedfont it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately could cause delays to Bedfont commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Bedfont.

I am looking for a conveyancing lawyer in Bedfont for my home move. Is there any facility to review a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?

You may review presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations started on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may recorded call for training purposes.