We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The bank mentioned the home loan came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to instruct their panel conveyancer as I would prefer to instruct a Newton-le-Willows based conveyancing firm?

Do check but the chances are that appoint one of their panel solicitors where you take up the "fee-free" offer. Contact the bank to determine if they allow a monetary alternative. In the past a few lenders offered a £250 cashback as a further option in which case that money can go towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor near Newton-le-Willows.

I am purchasing a detached bungalow in Newton-le-Willows. We would like to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will legal work on the property involve enquiries to determine if these works are allowed?

Your conveyancer should review the registered title as conveyancing in Newton-le-Willows can on occasion identify restrictions in the title deeds which restrict categories of changes or require the consent of another owner. Certain additions call for local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. It would be prudent to check these things with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.

We previously chose conveyancers with offices in Newton-le-Willows on the UBS solicitor panel. They have just billed me an additional amount for handling the UBS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by UBS?

Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancing practitioner is entitled to levy a fee for this. This fee is not set by UBS but by your Newton-le-Willows property lawyer. Plenty of firms on the UBS panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but plenty of firms incorporate it on their overall fee.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Newton-le-Willows. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an advanced payment of £175. Soon after, the conveyancer contacted me to say that they were not on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Yorkshire BS panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

It has been four months since my purchase conveyancing in Newton-le-Willows concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I would like to sublet my leasehold flat in Newton-le-Willows. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Notwithstanding that your last Newton-le-Willows conveyancing solicitor is not available you can check your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the premises. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you must seek consent via your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. The consent must not not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I acquired a 2 bed flat in Newton-le-Willows, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding flats in Newton-le-Willows with over 90 years remaining are worth £175,000. The ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease runs out on 21st October 2082

With just 58 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £23,800 and £27,400 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.

Builders have suggested I use a solicitor and I've received an estimate from them. It's nearly £400 less expensive than my preferred Newton-le-Willows conveyancer. What's the catch?

Builders often have panels of conveyancing practitioners who expedite matters and who know the builder's paperwork and lawyer. Plenty of developers offer an incentive to use their approved property lawyer for this reason, any increased fees can be avoided and a developer will not put forward a conveyancing factory and run the risk of having the conveyancing delayed when they demand an exchange inside a month. A counter-argument for not opting for the suggested property lawyer is that they may prove hesitant to 'push' your interests for fear of upsetting the housebuilder. Where you have concerns that this may be the case you should keep with your local Newton-le-Willows property lawyer.