I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in July 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Aldermore are being a right pain. The Crystal Palace solicitor who is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Aldermore are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Aldermore have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Aldermore have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Aldermore may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Planning on purchasing a flat in Crystal Palace. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the UBS conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Crystal Palace property lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel.

Leeds Building Society have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a property in Crystal Palace has been accepted, what are the next steps?

The property agent will need to be informed of your solicitor's details (make sure the conveyancers are on the bank’s panel). Telephone Leeds Building Society or the financial adviser and finalise any appropriate documentation. Leeds Building Society will sellect a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or vendor to book a time for the valuation to happen. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. Leeds Building Society will issue the offer to you and your conveyancers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Crystal Palace.

I require expedited conveyancing in Crystal Palace as I am under pressure to sign on the dotted line inside one month. A mortgage is not required. Is it possible to avoid the conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

As you are are a cash buyer you are at free not to do searches although no law firm would suggest that you don't. Drawing on our experience of conveyancing in Crystal Palace the following are examples of what can be revealed and therefore affect the marketability of the property: Enforcement Notices, Overdue Fees, Overdue Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

My step-father has suggested that I instruct his conveyancers in Crystal Palace. Do I take his guidance?

There are no two ways about it the ideal way to choose a conveyancing lawyer is to seek feedback from friends or relatives who have previously instructed the firm that you are are thinking of instructing.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Crystal Palace from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Crystal Palace can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers’ lawyers.
If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate can be a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Crystal Palace conveyancing deal. If a duplicate share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity. If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled. A minority of Crystal Palace leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.

I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Crystal Palace. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the premium payable for the purchase of the freehold?

Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Crystal Palace conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Crystal Palace flat is Flat 5 4 Border Crescent in December 2013. the tribunal calculated that premium payable for the acquisition of a lease extension of the subject premises was in the sum of £14,900 (Fourteen thousand, nine hundred pounds). Those advising the applicant were advised to send a copy of the decision and a copy of the new lease with the premium (less the applicants costs as assessed by the Court) to the Croydon County Court (under claim number 3CR01226) for an officer of the Court to execute the new lease on behalf of the absentee landlord who is missing and cannot be traced). This case related to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 69 years.

My wife and I have just had an offer agreed on a property and had meeting on Wednesday with Leeds Building Society for the mortgage. They have informed us that when it comes to selecting a solicitor that unless they are on their approved list of conveyancers then we will have to pay out an extra fee of £250+. This is because they would then have to appoint a solicitor to act for them as well as the one we select on our behalf and we will be on the hook for their costs. I have requested Leeds Building Society to send me with a list so I can obtain quotes only from their approved conveyancers but was told they dont have such a list to hand over. Is there a list online?

You can enquire of Leeds Building Society what their criteria for panel membership is for a solicitor.Thereafter ask the property lawyer of your choice whether they fit that criteria and have they acted on loans for Leeds Building Society in the past. Where the answer to those is yes, then just double check with Leeds Building Society. Another option is to use our search tool and we may be able to locate a solicitor in Crystal Palace on the panel for Leeds Building Society.