If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Fenham what would it be?

We would encourage you not to go for the cheapest Fenham conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as , do Fenham have to pay a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are not aware of any mortgage company fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Fenham. I have a mortgage offer with . Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with , you will need to appoint a solicitor on the conveyancing panel.

I used Stirling Law a few years ago for my conveyancing in Fenham. I now require my file but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should 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 Fenham of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one near me in Fenham I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Fenham in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

If you need a home loan that many years will be problematic. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Fenham. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Fenham - 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.

I inherited a 1 bedroom flat in Fenham, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable properties in Fenham with a long lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease ceases on 21st October 50

With just 50 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other 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 based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

My wife and I are buying a studio flat in Fenham. When we first instructed , they told us that they were on all mainstream lender panels. The mortgage broker emailed yesterday to say that they don't seem to be on the approved list. If it turns out to be true, what should we do? Do we just choose a new that is on their panel or do we pay for separate representation, with selecting their own approved .

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is normal for the buyer’s solicitors to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict conditions which the has to fulfill. Some building societies now insist their panel firms to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your should call and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on 's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Fenham solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.