My partner and I are buying an apartment in Hockley. My property lawyer has never been on on the lender conveyancing list. Is it possible for me to appoint my Hockley conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the lender list of approved lawyers?

You must appoint a property lawyer to deal with the formalities when you require a loan to purchase your home. They will carry out all the relevant investigations on the property, ensuring that you will be registered as proprietor and ensure that all the required mortgage paperwork is dealt with. You can instruct a Hockley conveyancer of your choice. Nevertheless, where the conveyancer appointed is not on the lender approved list supplemental charges will be levied as separate legal representation will be required by them. Lender panel applications may be submitted, so provided your solicitor has not historically applied for membership they can do so.

Do I find a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Hockley?

There are many recorded licenced Conveyancers in Hockley and Solicitor partnerships in Hockley to choose from We would stress that the two are supervised by regulatory bodies with both specialising in the legal aspects of transferring property. Both can handle other property legal work such as remortgage conveyancing, enfranchisement and transfer of equity conveyancing.

When it comes to lenders such as Barclays, do Hockley conveyancing practitioners incur a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to register on their panel, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

We were going to get a DIP from Co-operative this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Co-operative recommend any Hockley solicitors on the Co-operative conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Hockley solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Co-operative through the process.

Am I right to be suspicious that brokers that I am dealing with are suggesting a national conveyancing firm rather than a High Street Hockley conveyancing company?

As is the case with lots of professional services, often recommendations from relatives can be most helpful. But there are lots of players in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and banks might all recommend solicitors to retain. On occasion these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but sometimes there behind the scenes commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are at liberty to select your preferred lawyer. You need to be aware that some mortgage providers have an approved list of conveyancers you have to use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.

Last April I purchased a leasehold house in Hockley. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I bought a 2 bed flat in Hockley, conveyancing having been completed 4 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding properties in Hockley with an extended lease are worth £222,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2093

You have 70 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

What is the average conveyancing fee for conveyancing in Hockley?

The average fee in 2014 for conveyancing in Hockley was just over one thousand four hundred and fifty pounds not including Stamp Duty and HMLR fees.