My partner and I are hoping to purchase a property in Ingatestone and are in fact using a Ingatestone conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Norwich and Peterborough Building Society have this evening contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Ingatestone solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?

When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent 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 solicitor 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 solicitors to act. 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 Ingatestone lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

Due to move into my new home in Ingatestone next Friday. My conveyancer now wants me to supply her with evidence of content and building insurance for the property as as she informs me that she is duty bound to validate that it is in order for the bank. What does the insurance need to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for mortgage companies would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. These obligations are not unique to conveyancing in Ingatestone.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one round the corner in Ingatestone I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Ingatestone for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

I am using a search engine for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Ingatestone it brings up numerous solicitorsin the area. How do I determine which is the right conveyancer for me?

The best method of choosing the right conveyancer is through a trusted referral, so enquire of friends and family who have bought a property in Ingatestone or a respected estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Ingatestone vary, so it's a good idea to secure a minimum of four estimates from varying types of property lawyers. Be sure to seek confirmation that the charges are assured not to rise.

Two months into a sale of a flat in Ingatestone. Conveyancing is fine but we are being charged an extortionate amount from the landlord. To date we have paid £275 for a leasehold management pack and then a further £134.40 for responses to questions supplied by the purchaser's conveyancer.

You will not have any say over the extent of the fee for this information however the average fee for the information for Ingatestone leasehold property is £360. When it comes to Ingatestone conveyancing sales it is usual for the owner to pay for these charges. The landlord or their agents are under no statutory obligation to address such questions although many will agree to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices out of proportion to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no legislation that requires capped fees for administrative tasks. There is no prescriptive time frame by which they are duty bound to issue the information.