Can you recommend a National Westminster Bank allowed Rochdale conveyancing lawyer that can complete within less than a month? Would it be better to use a high street Rochdale conveyancer or an online firm?

We would be happy to suggest some excellent Rochdale conveyancing firms. You can also walk up the main road in Rochdale. Visit a couple of firms and request to see a conveyancing solicitor for a costs illustration. Mention your deadline together with your reasons and get an assurance on your deadline. Select the one that you are most comfortable with.

Having sold my house in Rochdale last March yet the purchaser is SMS messaging me to say their solicitor is waiting to hear from mine. What are the post completion sale legalities now that I have sold?

Following your disposal your solicitor should forward the transfer deeds and all supplemental paperwork to the purchaser's lawyers. Where appropriate, your lawyer must also confirm that the mortgage has been paid off to the buyers lawyers. There are no post completion procedures peculiar conveyancing in Rochdale.

The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Rochdale. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.

After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Rochdale. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £150. A few days later, the lawyer called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Virgin Money 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 Virgin Money 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.

Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Rochdale solicitor - who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Clydesdale will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Clydesdale 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. Your conveyancer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Rochdale postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Clydesdale, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Rochdale.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Rochdale is the location of the property. Can you offer any assistance?

Flying freeholds in Rochdale are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Rochdale you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Rochdale may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

We are midway through buying a house in Rochdale. Conveyancing solicitor has told us the title is "Leasehold". Will this likely make a difference on our mortgage valuation?

Rochdale conveyancing does not ordinarily involve leasehold houses. The key factor here is the length of lease and the ground rent. If there are over a hundred years remaining with a nominal rent, it's almost the same as freehold, so it shouldn't impact the value too much.

On the flip side, if it's, say, 50 years it is bound to have a material effect on the value, and probably wouldn't be mortgageable. The remaining lease term and ground rent will be specified in the lease to be supplied to your solicitor.