I am in the process of selling my ground floor flat in Desborough and the EA has just e-mailed to warn that the purchasers are appointing a new property lawyer. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Desborough ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in the past few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.

Banks blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

As someone not used to the Desborough conveyancing process what is your top tip you can give me concerning the ownership transfer in Desborough

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Desborough or throughout England and Wales is often a confrontational process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists plenty of opportunity for friction between you and other parties involved in the transaction. E.g., the vendor, property agent and on occasion the bank. Selecting a lawyer for your conveyancing in Desborough is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY person in the legal process whose responsibility is to protect your best interests and to keep you safe.

We are witnessing a distinct creep of a "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you must always trust your solicitor ahead of all other parties in the conveyancing process.

I am buying a victorian detached house in Desborough. Our aim is to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will legal investigations on the property include enquiries to ascertain if these works are prohibited?

Your property lawyer should check the registered title as conveyancing in Desborough can sometimes reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit categories of alterations or need the permission of another owner. Some additions need local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Certain locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

Can I be sure that the Desborough conveyancing solicitor on the Leeds Building Society panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Desborough getting recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor conducting your transaction.

I have finally had an offer on an apartment in Desborough accepted, the owners do however have an associated purchase. The owners have offered on somewhere, however it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other apartments in the pipeline. I have instructed a high street conveyancing solicitor in Desborough. What do I do now? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Clydesdale?

It is normal to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Desborough conveyancing search fees, etc). First, you should check that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Clydesdale approved list. Concerning the subsequent stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. In a hot market some buyers would apply for a home loan with Clydesdale and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their lawyer to press on with searches.

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Desborough. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they are sending me a report on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Desborough should include some of the following:

Rent payments - how much and when is collected, and also know whether this will change in the future What you can do if an adjoining owner is in violation of a provision in their lease? The total ownership of the demise. This might be the apartment itself but might include a roof area or basement if applicable. Changes to the flat Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?

Desborough Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before buying

What restrictions exist in the Desborough Lease? How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their maintenance charge payments? How much is the annual maintenance fee and ground rent?

I have just started marketing my garden flat in Desborough.Conveyancing has not commenced however I have just received a yearly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is clear the maintenance contribution as normal because all ground rent and service charges should be apportionedon completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process