Me and my wife are acquiring a leasehold flat in South London. My property lawyer has never been on on the lender approved list. Is it possible for me to appoint my South London conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the bank panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?

Your options include

• Carry on with your existing South London solicitor but your bank will undoubtedly instruct a conveyancer on their approved list. This will result in additional charges together with likely frustration.
• Choose a fresh property lawyer to act in the purchase, ensuring that they are on the bank conveyancing panel.
• Convince your conveyancing practitioner to do everything within their powers to get accepted on the bank’s panel of solicitors

Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in South London costs more?

South London leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.

My solicitor has informed me that breach of easement insurance is required on my purchase. What is the level of cover for South London conveyancing?

The appropriate level of breach of easement indemnity insurance should be dictated by who your lender. It would differ for example between Lloyds TSB Bank and Barnsley Building Society. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.

I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in June 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Kent Reliance are being pedantic. The South London solicitor who is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Kent Reliance are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Kent Reliance have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Kent Reliance have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Kent Reliance 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.

Planning on purchasing a apartment in South London. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the South London conveyancing practitioner is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel.

I purchased a renovated Georgian property in South London. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Aldermore. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in South London and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. South London is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in South London are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in South London you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in South London may determine 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 property.