My wife and I are looking to purchase a home in Bilston and Bradley and have appointed a Bilston and Bradley conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Leeds Building Society have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Bilston and Bradley solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?

If you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Bilston and Bradley lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

I'm in the throws of viewing flats in Bilston and Bradley and I am about to put in an offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I am planning to take a mortgage with Santander.

It would be sensible to commence your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with Santander, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Bilston and Bradley. I have a mortgage agreed with Principality. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Principality, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Principality conveyancing panel.

Intending to buy a house in Bilston and Bradley. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Principality conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Bilston and Bradley solicitor is on the Principality conveyancing panel.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £305k and found one close by in Bilston and Bradley I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Bilston and Bradley in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

If you require a mortgage that many years will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

In sourcing the web for the words on line conveyancing in Bilston and Bradley it brings up many solicitorsin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable property lawyer for purchase transaction?

The best way of finding a suitable conveyancer is through a personal testimonial, so ask friends and relatives who have bought a property in Bilston and Bradley or a local estate agent or financial adviser. Costs for conveyancing in Bilston and Bradley vary, so it's a good idea to secure at least three fee calculations from different conveyancers. Dont forget to clarify what costs in the quote includes.

Planning to complete next month on a studio apartment in Bilston and Bradley. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Bilston and Bradley should include some of the following:

You should know whether the lease allows you to alter or upgrade aspects of the property- you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required Changes to the flat specifics of the parties to the lease, e.g. these could be the tennant, superior lessor, freeholder Where does the liability rest to repair and maintain the block. It is essential that you know who is responsible the repair and maintenance of all parts of the block and communal areas You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease

Leasehold Conveyancing in Bilston and Bradley - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

How long is the Lease? What restrictions exist in the Bilston and Bradley Lease? Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability?