I have been referred to a conveyancing solicitor in Lees. I need to find out whether they are on the approved list of lawyers. Could you advise?

The first thing you should do is e-mail your solicitor and enquire if they are on the lender panel. Alternatively you should call who may be able to assist.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Lees. I have a mortgage offer with . Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with , you will need to appoint a solicitor on the conveyancing panel.

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Lees. My mortgage broker suggested a . I paid an upfront payment of £200. A few days later, the called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

My sealed bid on a house in Lees has been agreed to, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on somewhere, however it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other apartments booked. I have instructed a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Lees. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage application with started?

It is normal to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs prematurely (home loan application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then valuation, Lees conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you should ensure that your is on the conveyancing panel. Regarding the subsequent phase this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. During a rising market many buyers will apply for the mortgage with and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their to proceed with searches.

Various web forums that I have visited warn that are the number one cause of hinderance in Lees conveyancing transactions. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Lees.

Have purchased a a terraced house in Lees , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to register my ownership? My Lees conveyancing solicitor has been very slow, so I want to be sure the registration is concluded.

There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Lees registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can vary according to who lodges the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any interested parties. Currently approximately three quarters of such applications are completed within 12 days but some can be subject to protracted delays. Historically registration is effected once the buyer has moved in to the property thus 'speed' is not always top priority yet where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your conveyancer should communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.

Our lenders have just issued us with a mortgage offer. We instructed a local conveyancer in Lees last week. This morning, our financial adviser contacted us saying that the mortgage company said that we cannot use our solicitor as they aren't on their 'approved list'. As novices, we had no idea that the mortgage company had some control over our choice Is this legal?

You are permitted to select any lawyer you prefer to choose including the said conveyancer in Lees nevertheless if your lender aren't happy with them you will have to fork out an extra fee so the bank can instruct their own lawyers. On occasion it is conceivable that your preferred conveyancing firm to get added to the mortgage company list of approved firms. Do make the most of internet tools such as lenderpanel.com to find a conveyancing solcitor in Lees on the lender panel. You can go into your high street mortgage company branch in Lees. They can recommend conveyancing solicitors in Lees on the panel for your mortgage company.