I plan on acquiring a leasehold flat in Cotgrave. My property lawyer is not listed on the lender solicitor panel. Am I still permitted to continue with my Cotgrave conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the bank panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?

You have a couple of options open to you here

• Complete the purchase with your chosen Cotgrave conveyancing practitioner but your mortgage company will undoubtedly retain a property lawyer on their approved list. The net result is additional fees and likely delay.
• Appoint a fresh solicitor to conduct the conveyancing, making sure they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Appeal to your solicitor to attempt to join the bank panel

I am buying a new build flat in Cotgrave. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Cotgrave you will have to appoint a solicitor on your lender's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Cotgrave.

We expect to receive a OIP from Yorkshire BS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Yorkshire BS recommend any Cotgrave solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

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

I have instructed a Cotgrave conveyancing practitioner having checked that they are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Nottingham will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Nottingham will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancing practitioner will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Cotgrave postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Nottingham, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Cotgrave.

Co-operative have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a house in Cotgrave has been agreed to, what happens next?

Your estate agent will need to know who your solicitors are (be sure the solicitors are on the lender’s approved list). Telephone Co-operative or the broker and complete any appropriate paperwork. Co-operative will instruct a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or vendor to arrange an appointment. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes approximately a fortnight to get a mortgage offer. Co-operative will send the offer to you and your lawyers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Cotgrave.

Am I better off to go with a Cotgrave conveyancing practitioner who is local to the property I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can conduct the legal formalities but they are based 200miles drive away.

The primary upside of using a high street Cotgrave conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to execute documents, present your identification documents and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Cotgrave know how is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have instructed your friend and in the main were impressed that should surpass using an unknown Cotgrave conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being based in the area.

My wife and I have recently appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Cotgrave. I need to find out if they are on the bank's conveyancing panel. Could you or the lender confirm if they are on the panel?

You should call your lawyer to enquire if they are on the lender's panel. Alternatively please call us and we can investigate and revert. If they are not on the bank panel we we can help find a quality conveyancing solicitor in Cotgrave on the approved list for your lender.