My wife and I are purchasing a 1 bedroom flat in Worcestershire with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Worcestershire lawyer, however the bank says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel solicitors or retain our Worcestershire lawyer and pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. We regard this is unjust; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. Your mortgage offer 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. A further alternative is for your Worcestershire conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

We are purchasing a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Worcestershire who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a local solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Bank of Ireland . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Worcestershire.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Worcestershire?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Worcestershire. 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…’

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Worcestershire I like with open areas and station nearby, however it's only got 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Worcestershire suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

I am hoping to complete next month on a studio apartment in Worcestershire. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Worcestershire should include some of the following:

Whether your lease caters for for a sinking fund? You should have a good understanding of the insurance obligations You should receive a copy of the lease Who has the liability to repair and maintain the main walls and foundations. It is essential for you to know which party is responsible the repair and maintenance of all parts of the block and estate Details of the parties to the lease, e.g. these could be the tennant, head lessor, freeholder

I acquired a 1st floor flat in Worcestershire, conveyancing was carried out in 2008. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding flats in Worcestershire with a long lease are worth £227,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2092

With just 71 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. 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. You should not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.