I am nearing exchange of contracts for my house in Sychdyn and the estate agent has just telephoned to advise that the purchasers are swapping property lawyer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading lender only work with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Sychdyn ?

Lenders have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for many years.

Banks attribute this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that 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 not going to have any sway in the decision.

I used Wolstenholmes several years ago for my conveyancing in Sychdyn. I now require my file however the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Sychdyn of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I opted to have a survey done on a house in Sychdyn before instructing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies may not grant a loan on this type of premises.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to telephone us we can check via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Sychdyn. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Sychdyn to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

My partner has recommend that I appoint his conveyancers in Sychdyn. Should I use them?

No doubt the ideal way to choose a conveyancing solicitor is to seek recommendations from friends or family who have previously instructed the conveyancer you're are thinking of instructing.

I own a leasehold flat in Sychdyn, conveyancing formalities finalised 3 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent flats in Sychdyn with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 50

With only 50 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £36,100 and £41,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.