I can't travel far from Great Barr. Can you please explain the reason why all Great Barr lawyers are not on all lender panels?

Even though it may seem unfair for lenders to restrict who can represent them, from the public’s or conveyancer’s standpoint, the other side of the coin is that mortgage companies are becoming ever more anxious and regard it imperative to protect them from illegal activities. As a consequence of this concern lenders have reduced their panel of approved conveyancing lawyers to a size that they are happy to control.

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Great Barr. Conveyancing is necessary. What happens now?

Now that you are for all intents and purposes signed on the dotted line you now have to retain a conveyancing lawyer soon as you now have a tight a fixed date to complete the deal. All auction property should have a corresponding legal set of papers. This will include most,if not all of the documents that your solicitor will need. Where you are dealing with leasehold premises the legal pack may contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork pertinent to a leasehold property. You should hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor as soon as possible. You also need to ensure that you have funds in order to complete on the on the contractual date .

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Great Barr. I have a mortgage agreed with Bank of Ireland. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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 Bank of Ireland, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.

I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in February 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Kent Reliance are being a right pain. The Great Barr solicitor who is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Kent Reliance are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Kent Reliance have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Kent Reliance have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Kent Reliance may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that could impact a commercial property in Great Barr?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Great Barr will conduct a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers invest in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Great Barr. The search result sets out definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Great Barr.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Great Barr it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Great Barr commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Great Barr.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £245,000 and found one near me in Great Barr I like with open areas and railway links nearby, however it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Great Barr suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.

Should I be wary by brokers that I am dealing with are recommending a web based conveyancing firm rather than a local Great Barr conveyancing company?

As with many service providers, often suggestions from connections can be extremely useful or valuable. But there are numerous players in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and banks may recommend solicitors to choose. On occasion the conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but sometimes there is an underlying financial incentive behind the endorsement. You have the right to select your preferred lawyer. However, bear in mind that some mortgage providers specify a panel list of solicitors you must use for the lender aspect of your house move.