I am nearing exchange of contracts for my house in Marske and Upleatham and the estate agent has just e-mailed to say that the purchasers are appointing a new conveyancer. The reason given is that the bank will only work with solicitors on their approved list. Why would a big named mortgage company only deal with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Marske and Upleatham ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 15 years.

Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any impact on this.

IfI was to acquire a simple residential propertyin Marske and Upleatham for cash and have no survey and no local authority searches how much would I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Marske and Upleatham?

Any savings you would achieve would be limited to the Marske and Upleatham conveyancing searches. Your solicitor still got to do everything else - money laundering, communicating with the sellers conveyancing practitioner, SDLT submission, register the title etc. You might save a bit for them not needing to register a mortgage but it will not be significant.

Can I be sure that the Marske and Upleatham conveyancing solicitor on the Barclays panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Marske and Upleatham obtaining recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always advise that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your conveyancing.

I am expecting a OIP from Nationwide this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Nationwide recommend any Marske and Upleatham solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

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

TSB have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a apartment in Marske and Upleatham has been agreed to, what happens next?

Your property agent will need to know who your solicitors are (ensure that the solicitors are on the bank’s approved list). Call up TSB or your broker and finish off any relevant forms. TSB will appoint a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to arrange an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. TSB will send the offer to you and your conveyancers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Marske and Upleatham.

A relative recommended that if I am buying in Marske and Upleatham I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Marske and Upleatham conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Marske and Upleatham around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Marske and Upleatham Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Marske and Upleatham.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Marske and Upleatham prior to appointing solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor has said that some lenders tend not grant a mortgage on such a home.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions from Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can look into this further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Marske and Upleatham. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Marske and Upleatham especially if they regularly deal with such properties in Marske and Upleatham.