I am six weeks into the sale of my maisonette in Shirehampton and the EA has just text me to advise that the buyers are switching solicitor. The reason given is that the bank will only engage with solicitors on their approved list. Why would a big named mortgage company only engage with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Shirehampton ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in recent years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for many years.

Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

Various web forums that I have visited warn that are the main reason for delay in Shirehampton house deals. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the most frequent causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Shirehampton.

Just bought a terraced house in Shirehampton , how long will it take for the Land Registry to record my proprietorship? My Shirehampton conveyancing solicitor has been very slow, so I want to be certain the registration is addressed.

There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Shirehampton registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can adjust depending on the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry communicate with any 3rd persons or bodies. As of today in the region of three quarters of such applications are completed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to extensive delays. Registration is effected after the new owner has moved in to the premises therefore an expedited registration is not usually an essential issue yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your lawyers could communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

In scouring the world wide web for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Shirehampton it shows results of numerous property lawyerslocally. How do I determine which is the suitable property lawyer for purchase transaction?

The preferential way of seeking a suitable conveyancer is via trusted recommendation, so seek the guidance of friends and relatives who have acquired a property in Shirehampton or a reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Shirehampton differ, so it's sensible to request at least four estimates from different conveyancers. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.

My fiance and I may need to rent out our Shirehampton 1st floor flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Shirehampton conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Shirehampton do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

I invested in buying a split level flat in Shirehampton, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in Shirehampton with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2081

With 56 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. 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 you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.