I am purchasing a flat and require a conveyancing solicitor in Eccleshall who is on the Coventry Building Society approved. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Coventry Building Society in certain locations such as Eccleshall. We dont recommend any particular firm.

Is it the case that all Eccleshall solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Leeds Building Society approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some banks do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the practice would be governed by the CLC.

I currently have a mortgage with Santander for my property in Eccleshall. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Santander?

Your original mortgage agreement with Santander will provide that you need their approval before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Santander’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Santander will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Santander directly. You need not do this via a Santander conveyancing panel firm.

Intending to buy a apartment in Eccleshall. 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 Clydesdale 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 Eccleshall solicitor is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel.

I am close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our house in Eccleshall and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A high street Eccleshall lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a web based conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Eccleshall. We have lived in Eccleshall for 4 years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should 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 illness)

How does conveyancing in Eccleshall differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Eccleshall approach us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because developers in Eccleshall typically buy the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Eccleshall or who has acted in the same development.

I have just started marketing my ground floor apartment in Eccleshall. 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 maintenance contribution as you normally would because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents 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.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Eccleshall, conveyancing having been completed in 2004. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent flats in Eccleshall with an extended lease are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease ceases on 21st October 2105

With 80 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £7,600 and £8,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.