I am considering refinancing my property in Wrington, does my lawyer have to be on the Conveyancing panel?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the conveyancing panel, but would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.

The deeds to our house can not be found. The lawyers who dealt with the conveyancing in Wrington years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?

Gone are the days when you need to have the physical original deeds to establish that you are the registered proprietor of land or property, as the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.

I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in Wrington prior to appointing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. Our surveyor has said that some banks may refuse to grant a loan on this type of home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different requirements from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Wrington. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I acquired a 1st floor flat in Wrington, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1995. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar properties in Wrington with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 50

With just 50 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

I have just placed an offer on a leasehold flat in Wrington and the mortgage adviser that we are dealing with recommended his . He quoted £800 excluding VAT and disbursements. Does this sound reasonable?

You should not rely on one quote. One should seek like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Wrington. Then select one that you trust and crucially, is on the approved panel of the mortgage company that you are sourcing your mortgage from.