I am progressing with the sale of my maisonette in Builth Wells and the estate agent has just e-mailed to warn that the purchasers are appointing a new solicitor. The excuse is that the bank will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading lender only deal with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Builth Wells ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 25 years.

Lenders blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some 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 buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

My house in Builth Wells is up for sale and I have a buyer. Will my need to be on the conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently currently.

I need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner in Builth Wells for my purchase. Is it possible to see a firm’s record with the profession’s regulator?

Anyone can find published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from investigations started on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could monitor telephone calls for training requirements.

Looking forward to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Builth Wells. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report next week. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Builth Wells should include some of the following:

Repair and maintenance of the premises Ground rent - what is due and when is collected, and also know whether this is subject to change You would want to be sent a copy of the lease How long the lease is. You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years

I invested in buying a basement flat in Builth Wells, conveyancing was carried out in 1995. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Builth Wells with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 50

You have 50 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £36,100 and £41,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

Your search tool is useful but there are many lawyers listed near Builth Wells being on the mortgage company conveyancing panel. It would be a lot more helpful if you could recommend a specific firm on the bank approved panel?

We are not in the business of recommending one firm above another as the right Builth Wells conveyancing solicitor for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with Builth Wells knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. Before you appoint your lawyer we advise you to speak to two or three of the the firms listed to gain comfort as to which one is right for you..