My husband and I are planning to purchase a flat in Silverton and are in fact using a Silverton conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our conveyancer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Norwich and Peterborough Building Society have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Silverton lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?

If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Silverton solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

At what point can the exchange of contracts happen for residential conveyancing in Silverton and am I required to be at the solicitors branch?

Where you are in close proximity to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Silverton you are invited in to sign the paperwork. However, the firms we recommend provide a national conveyancing service and give as equally detailed and professional a job for you when communicating with you by post or email. The signing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. Signing on the dotted line is necessary for the firm to address the formalities at the suitable time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is is usually a five minute process, although where a lengthy "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Silverton)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.

I can see plenty of information on this site concerning conveyancing in Silverton but what is your top tip for choosing the right conveyancer in Silverton

It would be unwise to be swayed by the lowest Silverton conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.

is it true that all Silverton solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Aldermore conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. The majority of lenders do list licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the organisation would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

It is not clear whether my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Silverton building society branch on numerous occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they will lend. My Silverton conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend based on their specific requirements. I have no idea who is right.

As long as the property lawyer is on the mortgage company approved list, they must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

I am buying a new build apartment in Silverton. 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 legal work.

Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Silverton

Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Please supply a car parking plan.

How difficult is it to switch solicitor as I need to instruct a firm on the Nottingham Building Society conveyancing panel. I hired a local conveyancing solicitor in Silverton round the corner but he is not approved by Nottingham Building Society

It would be our pleasure to assist you select a conveyancing solicitor in Silverton on the Nottingham Building Society panel. Please note that the law firms that we work with do not pay us commission if you instruct them and are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Silverton. In utilising search facility on this website, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Silverton.