My wife and I are soon to exchange on the purchase of a house in Shawbury but as a consequence of damage from a small fire at the property I have was able negotiate recompense from the vendor of £2k taking the form of a adjustment in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of amending the contract however UBS are not allowing this. Should they have been informed?

Any solicitor that is on a UBS conveyancing panel is obliged to inform UBS of any changes to the purchase price. If you prohibit your lawyer to report the reduction to UBS then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, UBS and you would have to appoint a new property lawyer for your conveyancing in Shawbury.

Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Barclays Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Shawbury?

The first thing to point out is that, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.

Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Nottingham. Shawbury conveyancing lawyers have been chosen. How long does it take for Nottingham to send the offer to the conveyancer?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Nottingham done the valuation? Have you informed Nottingham as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Shawbury. I have a mortgage agreed with Nationwide. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Nationwide, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel.

I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in April 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Bank of Ireland are being problematic. The Shawbury solicitor who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Bank of Ireland are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Bank of Ireland have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Bank of Ireland have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Bank of Ireland may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that may affect a commercial estate in Shawbury?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Shawbury will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers spend in researching accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Shawbury. The search result provides definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Shawbury.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Shawbury it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately could cause delays to Shawbury commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for residential conveyancing in Shawbury.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Shawbury prior to instructing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will refuse to grant a mortgage on this type of house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you contact us we can investigate further with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Shawbury. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Shawbury especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Shawbury.