My wife and I have recently appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Darley Abbey. I need to find out whether they are accepted on the Barnsley Building Society approved list of lawyers. Can you help?

The first thing to do is e-mail your conveyancer and enquire if they are on the lender panel. Alternatively please call Barnsley Building Society who may be able to help.

We are downsizing from our property in Darley Abbey and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. Any local conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers are using a factory type conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Darley Abbey. We have lived in Darley Abbey for many years we know of no issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer already. Are they able to advise? You must enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

I am buying a new build house in Darley Abbey with a mortgage from Halifax. The sellers would not move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not reveal to my lawyer about the extras as it will affect my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

My brother has suggested that I appoint his conveyancing solicitors in Darley Abbey. Should I choose my own conveyancer?

No doubt the best way to choose a conveyancing practitioner is to get feedback from friends or family who have previously instructed the firm that you are considering.

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Darley Abbey. Before diving in I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Darley Abbey - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Darley Abbey - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

Is there a share of the freehold? The answer will be important as a) areas could result in problems in the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if services remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the managing agents you will want to have complete disclosure On the whole the cost for major works tend not to be incorporated into the service charges, although there some managing agents in Darley Abbey ask leasehold owners to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of building a fund for major works.