I am one month into the sale of my ground floor flat in Werrington and the estate agent has just e-mailed to warn that the buyers are changing their solicitor. The reason given is that the bank will only deal with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named lender only engage with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Werrington ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.

Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

What does a local search tell me about the property we're purchasing in Werrington?

Werrington conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations such as Searchflow The local search plays a central role in most Werrington conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any nasty surprises after you move into your new home. The search will supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject areas.

My husband and I are four weeks into a freehold purchase having been referred to a firm by the estate agent to do our conveyancing in Werrington. We are not happy. Could you help me find new solicitors?

They would have to be really poor to suggest changing them. Has your mortgage been sent? In the event that it has you will need to make them aware of the new contact details and have the mortgage documents are re-issued. Your solicitor ideally should be on the banks approved list to avoid supplemental charges and delays. So that should be your starting point. Our find a solicitor tool should help you find a lender approved lawyer for your conveyancing in Werrington

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Werrington conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Werrington conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Werrington conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be useful:

How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Werrington in the last twenty four months? If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?

I bought a leasehold flat in Werrington, conveyancing having been completed in 2012. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Werrington with over 90 years remaining are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2080

With just 55 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £31,400 and £36,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. 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 want to 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.

My cousin is purchasing a shared ownership flat in Werrington. He has received an estimate by the conveyancing practitioner connected to the estate agents totaling £1156 . It was fifteen years ago since I sold and purchased a home and the fee was £just under six hundred pounds. Have costs really increased to that extent?

What does the conveyancing estimate include? Is it just for the legal fees, or what you will be paying in total (for instance Werrington searches, land registry fees, etc)