My IFA has requested my Okehampton solicitor’s panel reference for the Lloyds conveyancing panel. What is the best way to obtain this. I have e-mailed my local Okehampton branch but they cant find it on their system.

You are best placed to get this information from your Okehampton solicitor . Most Okehampton law firms will keep a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each lender.

My wife and I are due to complete buying a house in Okehampton but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have managed to agree compensation from the vendor of three thousand pounds in the form of a adjustment in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of the conveyancing process but Leeds Building Society are not allowing this. Should they have been involved?

The lawyer being on a Leeds Building Society approved list is duty bound to advise Leeds Building Society of any variations to the sale price. If you were to refuse your conveyancer to disclose the price change to Leeds Building Society then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Leeds Building Society and you would have to appoint a new conveyancing practitioner for your conveyancing in Okehampton.

If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Okehampton what would it be?

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Okehampton conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

Is it correct that all Okehampton CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel?

Some major lenders now make use of CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,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 conveyancing solicitors.

My wife and I are at the point of looking at apartments in Okehampton and I am about to put in an offer. Is it too early to have a solicitor in place? I intend to finance via a home loan with HSBC.

You should start obtaining conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use 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 taking out a mortgage with HSBC, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I moved into my home on 6 March and my personal details is not yet registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Okehampton said it would be concluded in less than a month. Are transfers in Okehampton uniquely lengthy to register?

There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Okehampton registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timescales can differ depending on who lodges the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry have to notify any third parties. At present in the region of three quarters of submission are completed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to extensive delays. Registration takes place once the new owner has moved in to the property therefore an expedited registration is not typically an essential issue yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your lawyers could communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.

I happen to be an executor of my recently deceased mum’s Will, with a property in Okehampton which is to be marketed. The house is unregistered at the Land Registry and I'm told that some buyers solicitors will insist that it is done before they'll proceed. What's the procedure for this?

In the circumstances that you have set out it seems sensible to apply to register in the names of the personal representative(s) as named in the probate and in their capacity as PRs. The Land Registry’s online guidance explains how to register for the first time and what is required re the deeds and forms. You would need to include and certified copy of the probate as well and complete the form FR1 to refer to the PRs as the applicant.