I plan on purchasing a flat in Frenchay. My property lawyer is not listed on the lender solicitor panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my Frenchay conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the bank approved list?

You have a couple of alternatives open to you here

• Complete the purchase with your chosen Frenchay property lawyer but your lender will need to appoint a solicitor from their approved panel. The net result is additional charges together with potential frustration.
• Choose a new conveyancing practitioner to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Appeal to your conveyancer to apply to join the bank panel

How up to date is your search tool for Frenchay conveyancing solicitors on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel? Do Bank of Ireland send you an updated list?

Frenchay conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Bank of Ireland directly.

We are buying a terrace house in Frenchay. We would like to an extension at the rear at the house.Will the conveyancing process involve investigations to ascertain if these works are prohibited?

Your property lawyer should check the registered title as conveyancing in Frenchay will occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which prohibit certain alterations or need the consent of a 3rd party. Some additions require local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.

I am the single recipient of my late grandmother’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Frenchay. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in April. I plan to dispose of the property. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', which means that my property ownership will be considered the same way as if I'd bought the house in April. Do I have to wait half a year to sell?

The CML handbook requires solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you may be impacted by that. Most lenders would take a practical view as this clause is primarily there to capture subsales or the flipping of properties.

My wife and I have arranged the release of further monies on our mortgage from Barclays as we intend to carry out improvements to our property in Frenchay. Are we obliged to select a local Frenchay solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

Barclays don't usually appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Barclays conveyancing panel.

How does conveyancing in Frenchay differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Frenchay contact us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is built. This is because builders in Frenchay typically buy the site, 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Frenchay or who has acted in the same development.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Frenchay. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Frenchay are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Frenchay in which case you should be shopping around for a Frenchay conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Frenchay - Examples of Questions you should ask before buying

Who manages the building? Best to be warned whether redecorating or some other major work is coming up to be shared by the tenants and will dramatically impact the level of the maintenance costs or necessitate a specific payment. Be sure to discover if the the lease includes any onerous restrictions in the lease. For instance some leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Frenchay. If you like the propertyin Frenchay yet your cat can’t make the move with you then you have a very difficult choice.