I am soon to complete on the purchase of a property in Merseyside but as a result of damage from some water damage at the property I have was able negotiate recompense from the vendor of £3k taking the form of a adjustment in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of amending the contract however Santander will not agree to this. Why were they approached?

The conveyancer that is on a Santander approved list is required to advise Santander of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyer to disclose the reduction to Santander then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Santander and you would have to appoint a new conveyancing practitioner for your conveyancing in Merseyside.

We are purchasing a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Merseyside who is on the Principality solicitor panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Principality . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Merseyside.

My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Merseyside. I need to find out if they are accepted on the Barnsley Building Society conveyancing panel. Can you help?

The first thing you should do is e-mail your lawyer and ask them whether they can act for the bank. Otherwise please call Barnsley Building Society who may be able to help.

Do I select a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Merseyside?

There are many recorded licenced Conveyancers in Merseyside and Solicitor firms in Merseyside to choose from It is important to make clear that the two are supervised by regulatory bodies with both specialising in the legal work in transferring property. The two can deal with associated property related work such as remortgage conveyancing, lease extensions and transfer of equity conveyancing.

My wife and I are at the point of looking at apartments in Merseyside and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a lawyer appointed at this stage? I intend to finance via a mortgage with Santander.

You should start obtaining conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the EA. As you are obtaining a mortgage with Santander, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel.

I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in August 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, HSBC are being problematic. The Merseyside solicitor who is on the HSBC conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but HSBC are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do HSBC have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that HSBC have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why HSBC 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.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Merseyside with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Merseyside can be avoided where you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers’ lawyers.
You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to verify this by asking your lawyers. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is less than 75 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale. The majority of landlords or managing agents in Merseyside levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Merseyside. If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Merseyside leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord approving such works. If you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer before hand. If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a replacement share certificate is often a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Merseyside conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share certificate is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.

I inherited a 2 bed flat in Merseyside, conveyancing was carried out 10 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent flats in Merseyside with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2070

You have 51 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £30,400 and £35,200 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.