I am selling my flat in Pulborough and the estate agent has just telephoned to say that the buyers are appointing a new property lawyer. The excuse is that the lender will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only deal with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Pulborough ?

Lenders have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in the past few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for more than 25 years.

Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms 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 purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

It is 10 years ago since I acquired my house in Pulborough. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been retained on the sale but I am unable to track down my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be kept by your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in your purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Pulborough involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

We are due to move home in October. Does my conveyancing solicitor call the removal company on the completion day. On a separate note, can you recommend a removal company in Pulborough. Conveyancing firm was chosen before I stumbled across your site.

On the afternoon of completion you can pick up the keys from your selling agent however this can only take place when the sellers solicitors inform the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be released. After that you can inform the removal company that they can start moving you in. We do not suggest a specific removal company but can help you find a residential property solicitor in Pulborough or a lawyer with expertise in conveyancing in Pulborough.

Are all Pulborough Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Co-operative conveyancing list of approved firms?

Some major lenders now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation 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 remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.

I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Pulborough solicitor - who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Bank of Ireland will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bank of Ireland will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Pulborough surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

In scouring the web for the term cheap conveyancing in Pulborough it brings up numerous property lawyersin the area. How do I determine which is the right conveyancing solicitor for me?

The best way of finding the right conveyancer is through a personal recommendation, so ask colleagues and those you trust who have purchased a property in Pulborough or a reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Pulborough vary, so it's a good idea to secure at least four costs illustrations from varying types of property lawyers. Be sure to secure confirmation what costs in the quote includes.

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Pulborough. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Pulborough - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Pulborough - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

Who are the managing agents? This information is important as a) areas could result in problems in the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate if maintenance are not paid for b) if the tenants have an issue with the running of the building you will wish to have all the details