My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Histon. I need to find out if they are accepted on the National Westminster Bank approved list of lawyers. Could you help?

The first thing you should do is contact your solicitor and enquire whether they are on the lender panel. Otherwise please call National Westminster Bank who may be able to help.

I am assisting my mother sell her house in Histon. Will the conveyancer commission an energy assessment or it is for the owner to coordinate?

Following the demise of HIPs, EPC’s was maintained a required part of moving property. An energy performance certificate should be to hand before the property is put on the market. It is not something that law firms normally organise. Where you are instructing a Histon conveyancing practitioner they might be willing to arrange energy assessments given their relationships with long established Histon assessors

We had appointed conveyancing lawyers based in Histon on the Co-operative solicitor approved list. They have just billed me a supplemental fee for handling the Co-operative mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Co-operative?

Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner is entitled to charge a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Co-operative but by your Histon property lawyer. Plenty of firms on the Co-operative panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but many practices include it on their overall fee.

Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Skipton. Histon conveyancing solicitors are selected. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Skipton?

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

Should my conveyancer be raising questions about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Histon.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors dealing with homes in Histon. There are those who purchase a house in Histon, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous searches that can be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Histon. The conventional set of information supplied to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a usual inquiry of the vendor to discover if the property has historically flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not disclosed by the seller, then a buyer may bring a compensation claim stemming from an misleading answer. The purchaser’s lawyers will also conduct an environmental report. This will higlight whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be conducted.

I used Wolstenholmes a few years past for my conveyancing in Histon. I now require my papers however the law firm has closed. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Histon of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I'm converting the mortgage on my existing home to a BTL loan with Alliance & Leicester and I will use the rest of the raised equity as a down payment on a second house. The location we are talking about is Histon. Will your conveyancers be able to act for the two banks and link together the transactions?

Do use our search tool on this page to check that the lawyers are on the relevant lender panels. Assuming that they are your lawyer should be able to connect the two transactions but you should talk with you conveyancer and make apparent your expectations and needs.