We note that you have a search directory identifying firms on the Santander conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I appoint them for our own conveyancing in Spondon?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Santander conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Spondon.

We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The lender mentioned the home loan came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to appoint their panel lawyer as I would prefer to instruct a Spondon based conveyancing firm?

Do check but the chances are that allocate you one of their panel lawyers if you accept the "fee-free" offer. Contact the lender to ask if they offer you a cash alternative. Some mortgage companies have previously offered a £250 cashback as a further option in which case you could put that amount towards the cost for your conveyancing solicitor in Spondon.

If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Spondon what would it be?

It would be unwise to be swayed by the lowest Spondon conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

Is it the case that all Spondon solicitor firms on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel are overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of mortgage companies do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I have instructed a Spondon lawyer having made sure that they are on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Skipton will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Skipton will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your solicitor will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Spondon postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Skipton, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Spondon.

I am purchasing a property and the lawyer has referenced Chancel Repair for which the house may be liable because it falls into the area of such a church. He has mentioned insurance. Is this really required for conveyancing in Spondon

Unless a previous acquisition of the house took place after 12 October 2013 you could assume that conveyancing practitioners carrying out conveyancing in Spondon to continue to propose a a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Spondon. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

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. However, 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 be sure 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 invested in buying a studio flat in Spondon, conveyancing was carried out 9 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Spondon with an extended lease are worth £191,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2074

You have 53 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £27,600 and £31,800 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.