Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Coventry BS. Halewood conveyancing lawyers are selected. How long does it take for Coventry BS to forward the offer to the conveyancing practitioner?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Coventry BS completed the valuation? Have you informed Coventry BS as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

It is unclear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Halewood building society branch on various occasions and was advised it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Halewood conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they refuse to lend in accordance with their published requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

As long as the conveyancing practitioner is on the bank approved list, she or he must adhere to the CML Handbook provisions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

Intending to buy a apartment in Halewood. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Halewood property lawyer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Halewood before retaining conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend not give a loan on this type of home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements for example to Nationwide. If you contact us we can look into this further with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Halewood. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Halewood to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

We're novice buyers - had an offer accepted, but the selling agent has warned us that the vendor will only issue a contract if we use the agent's chosen solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a high street solicitor used to conveyancing in Halewood

We suspect that the owner is not behind this request. If they require ‘a quick sale', turning down a genuine purchaser is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you do not need to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you are going to instruct your own,trusted Halewood conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will give their estate agent a referral fee or hit his conveyancing figures set by head office.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Halewood from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Halewood can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ lawyers.
A minority of Halewood leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors. The majority of freeholders or managing agents in Halewood charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Halewood. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Halewood leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord approving such works. Should you dont have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand.

Halewood Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Make sure you find out if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For instance plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Halewood. If you love the apartmentin Halewood yet your cat can’t make the move with you then you will be presented with a difficult choice. Plenty Halewood leasehold properties will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building set by the freeholder. Should you purchase the property you will have to meet this liability, usually periodically throughout the year. This can be anything from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met yearly, this is usually not a large figure, say about £50-£100 but you need to check as occasionally it can be many hundreds of pounds. On the whole the cost for major works are not included within maintenance charges, although some managing agents in Halewood require leasehold owners to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of establishing a fund for major works.

My brother mentioned that when selecting a conveyancing solicitors they must be approved by your lender. This is my first home move but I have an AIP from Halifax and I already have a high street conveyancing lawyer in Halewood on standby. Can HSBC require an approved solicitor to be used? Does a directory of approved firms even exist so I can choose a conveyancing solicitor in Halewood?

You need to use a solicitor that is on the HSBC panel. The first thing to do is call your chosen Halewood conveyancing solicitor and ask if they are on the HSBC panel. If they are not approved you have numerous options open to you here:

• Complete the purchase with your preferred Halewood conveyancing practitioner but HSBC will undoubtedly retain a property lawyer on their approved panel. The net result is additional charges and potential frustration.
• Appoint a new conveyancer to conduct the conveyancing, not forgetting to check that they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel.
• Convince your property lawyer to pull out all the stops to get accepted on the HSBC conveyancing panel.