Recently contacted my conveyancing solicitor in Mayfield who conducted the legals 18 months ago and wanted a conveyancing estimate based on the same type of house move (a leasehold residence and a freehold property) of similar values with a mortgage from The Mortgage Works. It looks as though am now being quoted double. Am I right to be tempted to shop around for a cheaper online property lawyer?

The quote is fractionally on the expensive side. If you shop around you might trim some of the cost by perhaps £125. That being said, if you were content with the service the firm provided you couldcome to rue opting for an an unknown conveyancer. Remember to be sure the firm can represent The Mortgage Works. You can utilise our search tool to select a Mayfield conveyancing firm on the The Mortgage Works approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Mayfield.

I'm the sole recipient of my late mum's estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Mayfield. The Mayfield property was put into my name in January. I plan to dispose of the house. I understand that there is a CML six month 'rule', meaning my property ownership may be regarded the same way as if I'd bought the property in January. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you might be caught by that. How practical a view banks take of it, depend on the bank as this clause is chiefly there to pick up on the purchase and immediately sell or the flipping of property.

I have a mortgage with Co-operative for my property in Mayfield. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Co-operative?

Your original mortgage agreement with Co-operative will provide that you need their approval in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Co-operative’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Co-operative will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Co-operative directly. You need not do this via a Co-operative conveyancing panel lawyer.

Planning on purchasing a flat in Mayfield. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Mayfield solicitor is on the Skipton conveyancing panel.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Mayfield?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Mayfield. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

Are there common defects that you encounter in leases for Mayfield properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Mayfield. 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:

A duty to insure the building A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the building

You could encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Lloyds TSB Bank, Bank of Scotland, and Clydesdale all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to pull out.

I bought a garden flat in Mayfield, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent flats in Mayfield with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2076

You have 51 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

We had our home loan agreed in principle on Tuesday with our lender. We are using a high street conveyancer in Mayfield yesterday. Today, our financial adviser phoned to advise us that the lender said that we cannot use our solicitor as they aren't on their panel. As novices, we did not have a clue that the mortgage company had some control over our choice Is this legal?

You are permitted to use any lawyer you want to choose including the said conveyancer in Mayfield nevertheless if your lender aren't happy with them you must pay an extra fee so your lender can retain their own lawyers. On occasion it is possible your preferred conveyancing firm to get added to the bank panel. You can use internet search facilities such as lenderpanel.com to find a conveyancing solcitor in Mayfield on the bank panel. You can go into your high street bank branch in Mayfield. They can recommend conveyancing solicitors in Mayfield on the approved list.