Me and my husband are acquiring property in Lifton. My Solicitor is not listed on the lender solicitor panel. Am I still permitted to appoint my Lifton conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the mortgage company panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?

Your options include

• Proceed with your existing Lifton property lawyer but your lender will need to use a lawyer on their approved list. This will result in additional charges together with probable delay.
• Choose a fresh lawyer to conduct the conveyancing, obviously checking they are on the lender conveyancing panel.
• Appeal to your solicitor to seek to join the bank panel

I am considering refinancing my house in Lifton, does my lawyer need to be on the Nationwide Conveyancing panel?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Nationwide conveyancing panel, but Nationwide would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.

I am expecting a DIP from Kent Reliance 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 Kent Reliance recommend any Lifton solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Lifton solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Kent Reliance through the process.

Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Lifton. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.

Our offer on a house in Lifton has been accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have put an offer on on an apartment, however it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Lifton. What should be my next step? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Nottingham?

It is understandable to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs prematurely (home loan application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Lifton conveyancing search fees, etc). The first course of action is to ensure that your lawyer is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent steps 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 the majority of purchasers will apply for the mortgage with Nottingham and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their solicitor to press on with searches.

What will a local search tell me regarding the property I am purchasing in Lifton?

Lifton conveyancing often starts with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for instance Xpress Legal The local search is essential in every Lifton conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any nasty once you have moved into your property. The search should provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic sections.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and identified one round the corner in Lifton I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Lifton in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.