I am 3 weeks into the sale of my ground floor flat in Northampton and the EA has just e-mailed to say that the purchasers are changing their law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the bank will only engage with solicitors on their approved list. Why would a leading mortgage company only engage with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Northampton ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.

Lenders point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some 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. The buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

We were just about to exchange contracts for a garden flat in Northampton. We have hit a snag. Our loan offer with Halifax runs out on 6/10/2025 but the sellers are insisting on a completion date of 8/10/2025. Can one extend the loan offer?

The best person to address this issue is your conveyancer who is in a position to determine if he or she is should be discussing with the mortgage company, vendor’s lawyers, estate agents or possibly all three based on the circumstances your transaction to date.

Do I have to pop into the offices of the solicitor to execute the mortgage deed? If so, I will instruct a firm who offer conveyancing in Northampton so that I can pop in to their offices when needed.

Nowadays approved lawyers for banks carry out the vast majority of communications through Royal Mail, e-mail or over the phone. This means that they can undertake the conveyancing transaction no matter where you live in the country. However you should check if you have the option of visiting the offices of your conveyancing lawyer if needed.

Is it possible to switch conveyancer as I have to choose one who is on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society conveyancing list. I hired a high street conveyancing solicitor in Northampton five minutes from me but he is not accepted by Norwich and Peterborough Building Society

It would be our pleasure to help you find a conveyancing solicitor in Northampton on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society panel. Please note that the conveyancers that we list do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Northampton. In making use of search facility on this site, you can scrutinise charges for conveyancing solicitors in Northampton and throughout England and Wales.

I am looking at a couple of maisonettes in Northampton which have approximately 50 years remaining on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Northampton. The lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the value of the lease deteriorates and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be unwilling to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena.

I acquired a split level flat in Northampton, conveyancing having been completed 6 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Northampton with over 90 years remaining are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2085

With 60 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £20,000 and £23,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.