Me and my fiance are buying a 1 bedroom apartment in Tewkesbury with a mortgage. We have a Tewkesbury solicitor, however the bank advise she’s not on their "panel". It seems we have no choice but to appoint one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or keep our Tewkesbury conveyancer as well as pay for one of their panel firms to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Tewkesbury conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

I am aiming to move house in April. Will my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the completion day. Incidentally, can you suggest a removal company in Tewkesbury. Conveyancing solicitor was organised before I stumbled across this site.

On the day of completion you will need to pick up the house keys from your estate agent however this can only be done once the previous owners solicitors confirm to the agent that the monies to complete are in and the keys can be passed over. After that you should tell the removal men that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a specific removal organisation but can help you find a conveyancing in Tewkesbury or a firm with expertise in conveyancing in Tewkesbury.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Kent Reliance, do Tewkesbury lawyers have to pay a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any lender fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

I am purchasing a property in Tewkesbury. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Kent Reliance have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Kent Reliance your lawyer must comply with the formal instructions contained in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Kent Reliance. The CML Handbook sets out minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Kent Reliance where a lease does not satisfy these requirements. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Tewkesbury.

five months have elapsed following my purchase conveyancing in Tewkesbury took place. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Tewkesbury. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Tewkesbury ?

Most houses in Tewkesbury are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Tewkesbury in which case you should be looking for a Tewkesbury conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

Tewkesbury Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

Best to be warned if changing the roof or some other major work is anticipated that will be shared between the tenants and may well dramatically increase the the maintenance charges or result in a one time payment. Be sure to discover if the the lease contains any adverse restrictions in the lease. For instance plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Tewkesbury. If you like the propertyin Tewkesbury but your cat is not allowed to live with you then you will be faced difficult compromise. Many Tewkesbury leasehold apartments will incur a service bill for maintenance of the block set on behalf of the management company. Where you buy the apartment you will have to meet this amount, usually quarterly accross the year. This can vary from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a significant sum, say about £50-£100 but you need to check as sometimes it could be surprisingly expensive.

I note that you have a post code search directory listing firms on the mortgage company conveyancing panel. Do Tewkesbury conveyancing firms pay you a referral fee if I appoint them for my own house purchase?

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