I was recommended to a conveyancer who has quoted £1350 for freehold conveyancing in Sawston. I am selling a Victorian house for £225,000. Are the quoted fees excessive? Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Sawston?

The charges are a bit high. If you shop around you may be able to trim some of the cost by say £100 plus VAT. On the other hand, you mightcome to rue choosing an a cheaper lawyer. Remember to be sure the conveyancer can represent your bank. You can utilise our comparison tool to choose a Sawston conveyancing company on the lender’s approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Sawston.

My grandmother passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Sawston. The house had a relatively small loan left on it of around £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Aldermore, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?

Given you intend to refinance then Aldermore will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Aldermore conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Aldermore mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

Does a directory service exist listing Nationwide panel solicitors in Sawston on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

No. There is no such directory service on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. Very few mortgage companies make their panel listings open the public online. If you are looking for a Sawston property lawyer on the Nationwide please use our tool.

My partner and I have arranged the release of further monies on our home loan from Nationwide as we wish to conduct alterations to our home in Sawston. Do we need to appoint a nearby Sawston solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?

Nationwide don't usually instruct a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nationwide list.

I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Sawston. My mortgage broker suggested a property lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £175. Soon after, the lawyer called me to say that they were not on the Lloyds 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 Lloyds 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.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Sawston. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Sawston

Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. 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. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Sawston is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Sawston are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Sawston you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Sawston 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.