I have been recommended a conveyancing solicitor in Chipping Sodbury. I I would like to check if they are accepted on the Accord Mortgages Ltd conveyancing panel. Could you or the lender confirm if they are on the panel?

You should contact your conveyancer and ask them if they are on the lender panel. Otherwise please get in touch with Accord Mortgages Ltd who may be able to assist.

I used Action Conveyancing several years ago for my conveyancing in Chipping Sodbury. I now require my file but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Chipping Sodbury of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Chipping Sodbury I like with a park and station in the vicinity, however it only has 51 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Chipping Sodbury in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in Chipping Sodbury for my purchase. Can I check a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?

Anyone may read documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes monitor telephone calls for training reasons.

Our mortgage broker has recommended their lawyer for the conveyancing in Chipping Sodbury - Surely it’s better to just use them?

It is not always the case and you are at liberty to use whichever lawyer you decide for your Chipping Sodbury home move. A conveyancer suggested by an estate agent may not necessarily be the right conveyancing practitioner, they may suggest their preferred conveyancing firm who are based remotely. In this instance you may not have contact with your solicitor and due to the lack of continuity in the transaction, it may be difficult to obtain progress reports.