I was advised yesterday by my IFA that my Hertford property lawyer is not on the bank Solicitor panel. What can I do to be sure if this is correct?

The first thing you need to do is to call your Hertford lawyer directly. You lawyer should inform you of the situation. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your lender.

At what point can the exchange of contracts take place for domestic conveyancing in Hertford and do I need to be at the conveyancers office?

If you are round the corner to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Hertford you are invited in to sign documents. However, the firms we work with provide a countrywide conveyancing service and provide as equally comprehensive and professional a job for you when dealing with you electronically. The signing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. Signing on the dotted line is necessary for the conveyancer to address the formalities at the suitable time, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a long "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Hertford)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

Should commercial conveyancing searches disclose impending roadworks that may impact a commercial premises in Hertford?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Hertford will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers spend in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Hertford. 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 Hertford.

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

My husband and I are novice buyers - agreed a price, yet the selling agent advised that the seller will only proceed if we use their preferred solicitors as they need an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a local solicitor who is accustomed to conveyancing in Hertford

It is unlikely the owners are behind this. If they want ‘a quick sale', alienating a genuine buyer is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Speak to the vendors direct and make the point that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you intend to appoint your preferred Hertford conveyancing solicitors - rather thanthe ones that will provide the estate agent a referral fee or meet his conveyancing figures pre-set by corporate headquarters.

My partner and I have had DIP from Leeds Building Society who suggested we could borrow up to £117k. When do we need to instruct a lawyer for conveyancing? Hertford is where we are purchasing.

It would be wise to instruct a conveyancing practitioner now and ask them to create a file for you. This will enable: 1) the selling agent to issue a Sales Memo to all parties 2) the seller’s property lawyer to submit the draft paperwork. That being said, do not instruct your conveyancing practitioner to order searches until you have your valuation report via Leeds Building Society and you are content to proceed.