My partner and I are purchasing property in Tynemouth. My Conveyancer is not listed on the bank approved list. Am I still permitted to continue with my Tynemouth conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the bank list of approved lawyers?

You have a couple of alternatives available to you here

• Complete the purchase with your existing Tynemouth lawyer but your bank will no doubt appoint a property lawyer from their approved list. This will result in additional cost together with potential interruption.
• Choose a fresh lawyer to conduct the conveyancing, making sure they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Appeal to your lawyer to apply to join the bank panel

we are a couple who are buying a newbuild flat in Tynemouth with a residential mortgage from Barclays .We would like to retain our Tynemouth conveyancing practitioner but Barclays says he's not listed on their "panel". we are left little option but to use a Barclays panel lawyer or keep our preferred solicitor and fork out for one of their panel ones to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The home loan issued to you contains various provisions, one of which will be that solicitors needs to be on the Barclays approved list. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find 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. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Barclays

I require quick conveyancing in Tynemouth as I am faced with pressure to sign on the dotted line inside one month. A mortgage is not required. Is it possible to avoid the conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

As you are not getting a home loan you are at free not to have searches carried out although no lawyer would advise that you don't. Drawing on our experience of conveyancing in Tynemouth the following are instances of issues that can be revealed and adversely affect the marketability of the property: Enforcement Actions, Outstanding Charges, Outstanding Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Tynemouth?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Tynemouth. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Tynemouth with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Tynemouth can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers’ representatives.
The majority of freeholders or managing agents in Tynemouth levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Tynemouth. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to verify this by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is less than 80 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale. If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Tynemouth state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Where you dont have the approvals to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor before hand. If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is a current dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over rather than unsettled.

Tynemouth Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge liability? Many Tynemouth leasehold apartments will have a service bill for the upkeep of the building invoiced on behalf of the landlord. Should you buy the property you will have to pay this liability, usually quarterly during the year. This could be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal areas. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, this is usually not a exorbitant amount, say around £25-£75 but you need to check as occasionally it could be prohibitively expensive.