I am progressing with the sale of my apartment in Sandiacre and the estate agent has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are appointing a new conveyancer. The excuse is that the bank will only work with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only deal with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Sandiacre ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, 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 many years.

Lenders justify this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say 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. 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. Your purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

At what point does exchange of contracts take place for residential conveyancing in Sandiacre and am I required to attend the conveyancers office?

Where you are near to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Sandiacre you are invited in to sign documents. That being said, the firms we recommend provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give just as detailed and professional a job for you when dealing with you by post or email. The executing of the purchase agreement is not the important part. A signed contract is just a prerequisite for the solicitor to officially exchange when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where an extended "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Sandiacre)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

My colleague suggested that where I am purchasing in Sandiacre I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is sometimes included in the estimate for your Sandiacre conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Sandiacre around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Sandiacre Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Sandiacre.

I am buying a new build apartment in Sandiacre. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Sandiacre

Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Please supply a car parking plan. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants.

I own a leasehold flat in Sandiacre. Conveyancing and TSB mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing practitioner in Sandiacre who previously acted has now retired. Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Sandiacre conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I bought a 2 bed flat in Sandiacre, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2002. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar flats in Sandiacre with a long lease are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 2095

You have 69 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.