We are planning to purchase a 3 bedroom apartment in Dalton in Furness with a mortgage. We like our Dalton in Furness solicitor, but the lender says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel solicitors or retain our Dalton in Furness conveyancer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. We regard this is inequitable; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Dalton in Furness conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

Are the BSA planning on creating a online directory to to identify law firms on the Darlington Building Society conveyancing panel for example in Dalton in Furness?

Lexsure has not been advised of any plans on the part of the BSA to develop such a search facility.

I used Stirling Law a few years ago for my conveyancing in Dalton in Furness. Now, I need my documents however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do 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 Dalton in Furness of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

My husband and I are first time buyers - agreed a price, but the estate agent has warned us that the owners will only move forward if we instruct the agent's preferred solicitors as they need a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Dalton in Furness

We suspect that the seller is not behind this demand. If they desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated purchaser is not the way to achieve this. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are genuine purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to appoint your preferred Dalton in Furness conveyancing firm - as opposed tothe ones that will earn their negotiator at the agency a referral fee or achieve conveyancing targets pre-set by head office.

I am attracted to a two flats in Dalton in Furness both have approximately fifty years left on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Dalton in Furness is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the value of the property. The majority of purchasers and banks, leases with under eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Dalton in Furness conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I acquired a ground floor flat in Dalton in Furness, conveyancing formalities finalised 6 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar properties in Dalton in Furness with a long lease are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2089

With only 66 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £11,400 and £13,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.