Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Selly Oak is not on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of the firm’s work?

That is most likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Selly Oak conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

We are a couple about to sign contracts for a property in Selly Oak. We have hit a stumbling block. Our mortgage offer with Norwich and Peterborough Building Society expires on 9/1/2026 but the sellers are suggesting a completion date of 13/1/2026. Is it possible to extend the mortgage offer?

The best person to address this issue is your lawyer who should determine whether they should be discussing with the lender, vendor’s lawyers, property agents or indeed all parties given the circumstances your house move as of today.

I am purchasing my first flat in Selly Oak with the aid of help to buy. The developers would not budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The property agent suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about the deal as it would impact my mortgage with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my aunt I am selling a property in Swansea but I am based in Selly Oak. My conveyancer (based 235 miles from meneeds me to sign a statutory declaration before completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Selly Oak to attest and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or qualified solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are based in Selly Oak

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Selly Oak. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I inherited a 1st floor flat in Selly Oak, conveyancing was carried out April 2007. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Selly Oak with over 90 years remaining are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease ceases on 21st October 2090

You have 65 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £13,300 and £15,400 plus 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. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.