I am in the market for a reasonably priced conveyancer. Do I opt for an online conveyancer or a family Drakes Cross conveyancing solicitor?

Drakes Cross is a special area, where regional insight counts for a lot. The relaxed pace of life has an upside – but not when it comes to your conveyancing. The property lawyers that we endorse combine deep Drakes Cross insight with a professional, hands-onapproach that helps everything runs smoothly. It will certainly help where they enjoy established connections with financial advisers, estate agents, surveyors and counterpart Drakes Cross conveyancing firms

Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Drakes Cross. My lender is Accord Mortgages

Accord Mortgages have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 8/8/2025, the requirements read as follows :

Do I select a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Drakes Cross?

There are two types of lawyers who can perform conveyancing in Drakes Cross namely CLC regulated conveyancers or solicitors. The two can handle the legal services that you need to complete the sale or purchase of property. Both are duty bound to carry out Drakes Cross conveyancing to the same standards and guidelines so you may be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be properly conducted and that all requirements and steps should be appropriately attended to.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Drakes Cross. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. TSB have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As your lender is TSB your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for TSB. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to TSB where a lease fails to satisfy these conditions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Drakes Cross.

Planning on purchasing a flat in Drakes Cross. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Virgin Money 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 Drakes Cross conveyancing practitioner is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

I'm buying my first flat in Drakes Cross with a loan from National Westminster Bank. The builders would not budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not to tell my solicitor about the deal as it could affect my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.

I have just started marketing my basement apartment in Drakes Cross. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have recently received a quarterly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the service charge as you normally would because all rents and service charges will be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until 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.

I invested in buying a 1 bedroom flat in Drakes Cross, conveyancing formalities finalised January 2005. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Drakes Cross with an extended lease are worth £192,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2079

With 54 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £32,300 and £37,400 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.