As someone unfamiliar with the Northamptonshire conveyancing process what’s the number one tip you can impart concerning the legal transfer of property in Northamptonshire

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Northamptonshire or throughout England and Wales is often a confrontational experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of room for confrontation between you and others involved in the ownership transfer. E.g., the vendor, estate agent and even potentially your mortgage company. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in Northamptonshire an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the process whose responsibility is to look after your best interests and to protect you.

We are witnessing a definite ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone must be blamed for the process taking so long. We recommend that you should always trust your solicitor ahead of the other parties when it comes to the legal assignment of property.

Are the BSA planning on creating a searchable register to to identify practices on the Darlington Building Society conveyancing panel for instance in Northamptonshire?

We would not expect to be advised of any intention on the part of the BSA to promote such a register.

Are all Northamptonshire Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing list of approved firms?

It is true that some banks and building societies now make use of the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of firms.

We had chosen conveyancing lawyers with offices in Northamptonshire on the HSBC solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a further amount for handling the HSBC mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by HSBC?

Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancing practitioner may levy a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by HSBC but by your Northamptonshire lawyer. Plenty of firms on the HSBC panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.

I am purchasing a property in Northamptonshire. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender HSBC be concerned?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with HSBC your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements outlined in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for HSBC. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to HSBC where a lease fails to meet these conditions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Northamptonshire.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Northamptonshire. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Northamptonshire ?

Most houses in Northamptonshire are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Northamptonshire so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Northamptonshire conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will report to you on the legal implications.

I purchased a studio flat in Northamptonshire, conveyancing formalities finalised October 2008. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Northamptonshire with over 90 years remaining are worth £179,000. The ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 2081

With 57 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £26,600 and £30,800 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 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 may be other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.

Do online conveyancing organisations undertake everything a local Northamptonshire solicitor does or do I still need to retain a solicitor for the final stages for my conveyancing in Northamptonshire?

Where you use an online conveyancer they should undertake all the things your Northamptonshire conveyancer will cover.