The mortgage offer from Nationwide for the refinancing of my 4 room apartment is coming by the end of next week. Are you able to recommend a low cost conveyancing practitioner in Lincoln?

This site is not designed to aid those in pursuit of the cheapest conveyancing solicitors in Lincoln. Our aim is to provide affordable conveyancing but we do not aim to advertise as being the cheapest. Avoid the trap of appointing companies teasing you with ninety nine pound conveyancing in Lincoln. In your best case scenario, in deciding on cheap conveyancing, you will get your money’s worth and at worst it will result in you being stung for additional fees and still not get the service you were hoping for.

When it comes to lenders such as Lloyds, do Lincoln solicitors incur a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in September 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Coventry BS are being difficult. The Lincoln solicitor who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Coventry BS are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Coventry BS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Coventry BS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Coventry BS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

HSBC have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a apartment in Lincoln has been accepted, now what?

Your estate agent will wish to know who your solicitors are (make sure the property lawyers are on the lender’s panel). Contact HSBC or your financial adviser and finalise any appropriate paperwork. HSBC will instruct a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or seller to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes on average a week to receive the mortgage offer. HSBC will send the offer to you and your lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Lincoln.

I am looking for a flat up to £195,000 and identified one near me in Lincoln I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Lincoln suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension 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 solicitor concerning this.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in Lincoln for my house move. Is there any facility to see a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

Members of the public may search for documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes recorded telephone calls for training reasons.

Are there common deficiencies that you see in leases for Lincoln properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Lincoln is not unique. Most leases are drafted differently and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain sections are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.

You will encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Nationwide Building Society, Skipton Building Society, and Nottingham Building Society all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to pull out.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Lincoln - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this arrangement the lessees enjoy control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is frequently employed where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. If a Lincoln lease has no more than eighty years it will affect the marketability of the apartment. It is worth checking with your lender that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will probably have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth finding out how much this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the residence for two years before you are entitled to exercise a lease extension. The answer will be important as a) areas can result in problems in the block as the common areas may start to deteriorate where repairs are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the managing agents you will wish to know about it