The Frenchay Common conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Frenchay Common have suddenly shut down. They were on acting for me because I needed a firm on the Nottingham conveyancing panel and my family Frenchay Common lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £195 for searches. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then inform them immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to help.

How does conveyancing in Frenchay Common differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Frenchay Common approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because house builders in Frenchay Common typically acquire the land, 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 property lawyers 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 Common or who has acted in the same development.

We're novice buyers - had an offer accepted, but the agent has warned us that the owners will only issue a contract if we use their preferred lawyers as they need an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family conveyancer with experience of conveyancing in Frenchay Common

It is unlikely the owners are behind this. If they want ‘a quick sale', turning down a motivated buyer is not the way to achieve this. Bypass the agents and go straight to the owners and explain that (a)you are serious buyers (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances arranged © you have nothing to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you will continue to use your own,trusted Frenchay Common conveyancing firm - not the ones that will give the estate agent a commission or meet his conveyancing targets set by HQ.

I am looking at a couple of flats in Frenchay Common which have in the region of 50 years remaining on the leases. should I be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Frenchay Common. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease deteriorates and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area.

Frenchay Common Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask before buying

Is anyone aware of any major works on the horizon that could add a premium to the maintenance fees? Best to be warned whether fixing the lift or some other significant cost is anticipated that will be shared by the tenants and will materially impact the level of the service charges or necessitate a one time invoice. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their maintenance charge payments?

We are looking to acquire a repossessed house in Frenchay Common and the bank selling would like to complete inside a week. Can a conveyancing practitioner complete in this timeframe? Am I best advised to select a local Frenchay Common firm or an online conveyancer that professes to complete quickly?

Visit your Frenchay Common high street. Pop in to two or three companies and request to see a conveyancing solicitor for an estimate. Discuss your requirements and seek a commitment on deadlines. Select the firm that appears most trustworthy. Be sure to choose a property lawyer on the panel of conveyancers acceptable to your bank.