My fiance and I are looking to purchase a flat in Warfield and are in fact using a Warfield conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Godiva Mortgages Ltd have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Warfield lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?

When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Warfield solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

Do the conveyancing practitioners identified via your search tool conduct auction conveyancing in Warfield?

There are a number of auction solicitors we can connect you with those specialising in auction conveyancing. Warfield is one of hundreds of areas of where our lawyers are based.

As someone unfamiliar with conveyancing in Warfield what is the number one tip you can give me for the ownership transfer in Warfield

Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Warfield or throughout Berkshire is often a confrontational experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists plenty of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the transaction. For example, the vendor, property agent and on occasion a mortgage company. Choosing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Warfield should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE person in the process whose interest is to protect your best interests and to keep you safe.

Every so often a third party with a vested interest may attempt to persuade you that you should follow their advice. For instance, the estate agent may claim to be helping by claiming that your conveyancer is wrong. Or your mortgage broker may advise you to do take action that is contrary to your lawyers recommendation. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

In my capacity as executor for the estate of my aunt I am disposing of a property in Newport but reside in Warfield. My solicitor (based 260 kilometers from merequires that I sign a stat dec ahead of completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Warfield who can attest this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are located in Warfield

Are there common defects that you come across in leases for Warfield properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Warfield. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain clauses are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

A duty to insure the building

You may have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Santander, Bank of Scotland, and Nottingham Building Society all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Warfield, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in Warfield with a long lease are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2085

With 62 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £17,100 and £19,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.