I am in the process of selling my flat in Burnham Market and the EA has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are changing their property lawyer. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a big named lender only work with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Burnham Market ?

Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for over 25 years.

Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. 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 do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are not going to have any impact on this.

We are planning to buy with Melton Mowbray Building Society. I went into a few local companies but am unable to find a Burnham Market conveyancing firm on the Melton Mowbray Building Society panel. Could you help?

You should take advantage of the find a conveyancing panel solicitor tool on this site. Pick the lender and type Burnham Market or your preferred area and you will discover numerous conveyancers based in Burnham Market or nearest you.

Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Burnham Market before retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor advised that some banks will not issue a mortgage on this type of property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can check with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Burnham Market. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Burnham Market especially if they regularly deal with such properties in Burnham Market.

Last June I purchased a leasehold flat in Burnham Market. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Burnham Market, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Burnham Market with a long lease are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2088

With only 63 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

I have recently placed an offer on an apartment in Burnham Market and the estate agent that we are dealing with suggested his lawyer. She quoted £900 including VAT and 3rd party costs. Does this sound steep?

Don't just go on a single quote. You should obtain like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Burnham Market. Then pick one that you trust and just as important, is on the approved list of the mortgage company that you have applied for a mortgage from.