Unfortunately I am unable to travel far from Sandy. Can you please clarify why all Sandy solicitors aren't automatically on all mortgage company panels?

Mortgage companies highlight the fact that solicitor-led fraud is thought to be responsible for millions of pounds of fraud every year.The removal of law firms from lender panels started with the rise in mortgage fraud, which prompted a thematic review by the FSA in 2011. Its outcome included recommendations for lenders to review their conveyancing panels, which kicked off a major policy change in the sector. It led to banks and building societies purging a number of firms from their books of approved conveyancing practitioners .

What is the first thing I need to know about purchase conveyancing in Sandy?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Sandy and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists lots of room for conflict between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. For example, the vendor, selling agent and sometimes the lender. Selecting a solicitor for your conveyancing in Sandy should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the process whose responsibility is to protect your best interests and to keep you safe.

There is a worrying creep of a "blame" culture- someone has to be blamed for the process taking so long. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your lawyer above the other parties when it comes to the legal assignment of property.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Sandy. 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.

Here is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Sandy

Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Please supply a car parking plan. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, no chain conveyancing. Sandy is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can impart?

Flying freeholds in Sandy are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Sandy you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Sandy may ascertain 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.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Sandy with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Sandy can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers’ lawyers.
If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and frustrates many a Sandy conveyancing transaction. If a new share is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible. If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over as opposed to unresolved. If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Sandy leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. If you fail to have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in the first instance. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your solicitors. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 80 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Sandy, conveyancing formalities finalised 9 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Sandy with an extended lease are worth £265,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2100

With 75 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues 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 before getting professional advice.