My husband and I are planning to buy a property in Haslingden and are in fact using a Haslingden conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. have this morning contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Haslingden solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?

Where you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Haslingden lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

A friend recommended that if I am purchasing in Haslingden I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is sometimes included in the estimate for your Haslingden conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Haslingden around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Haslingden.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in Haslingden. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Haslingden

Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision.

I am looking into buying my first house which is in Haslingden and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Haslingden. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Haslingden area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Haslingden. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found

I acquired a basement flat in Haslingden, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Haslingden with a long lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 50

You have 50 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.