Me and my partner are purchasing a 1 bedroom apartment in Great Barr with a mortgage. We have a Great Barr conveyancer, but the bank says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel conveyancing practices or retain our Great Barr and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This feels very unfair; can we not demand that the mortgage company use our Great Barr ?

Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Great Barr conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

We are purchasing a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Great Barr who is on the approved panel. 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 be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Great Barr.

I am in the process of remortgaging my home in Great Barr, does my lawyer have to be on the Conveyancing panel?

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is greater potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

I decided to have a survey carried out on a house in Great Barr before instructing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. Our surveyor advised that some lenders may refuse to grant a loan on a flying freehold home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different requirements from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Great Barr. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Great Barr to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

I own a leasehold flat in Great Barr, conveyancing was carried out 1995. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Great Barr with a long lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 50

With just 50 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.