I am looking to buy a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in Castleford who is on the Leeds Building Society solicitor. Can you recommend a local solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Leeds Building Society in certain locations such as Castleford. We dont recommend any particular firm.

I am the single recipient of my late grandmother’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Castleford. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in August. I plan to dispose of the house. I understand that there is a CML six month 'rule', meaning my property ownership may be treated the same way as if I'd bought the house in August. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you might be impacted by that. Most banks would take a sensible view as this requirement is principally there to capture subsales or the quick reselling of property.

I am expecting a DIP from Nationwide this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Nationwide recommend any Castleford solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Castleford solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Nationwide through the process.

Santander have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a flat in Castleford has been agreed to, what are the next steps?

The property agent will need to know who your solicitors are (make sure the solicitors are on the lender’s approved list). Contact Santander or your broker and complete any appropriate documentation. Santander will instruct a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or owners to schedule an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes on average a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. Santander will send the offer to you and your property lawyers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Castleford.

I was recommended by a number of property agents in Castleford to locate a solicitor using your seach tool. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to market your services over alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to give any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission as a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

In sourcing the web for the phrase on line conveyancing in Castleford it brings up many solicitorsin the vicinity. How do I determine which is the right conveyancing solicitor for the sale of my house?

The best method of finding a suitable conveyancer is through a personal recommendation, so seek the opinion of friends and relatives who have acquired a property in Castleford or a local estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Castleford vary, so it's advisable to obtain a minimum of four fee estimates from varying types of companies. Be sure to obtain confirmation what costs in the quote includes.

My fiance is buying a basement flat in Castleford. He was given a quote by the conveyancer suggested by the estate agents totaling £1300 . It was fifteen years ago since I sold and bought a property and the bill was £440. Have charges really gone up that much?

What does the conveyancing estimate include? Is it just for the legal fees, or what you will be paying in total (for instance Castleford searches, land registry fees, etc)