My husband and I are buying a 1 bedroom apartment in Yaxley with a mortgage. We have a Yaxley solicitor, but the lender advise he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel solicitors or retain our Yaxley lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. We regard this is unjust; can we not demand that the bank use our Yaxley solicitor ?

Unfortunately,no. 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. Another option that might be available is for your Yaxley conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Yaxley. My lender is The Mortgage Works

The Mortgage Works have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 17/11/2025, the requirements read as follows :

How does conveyancing in Yaxley differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Yaxley come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is ready to move into. This is because builders in Yaxley usually buy the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Yaxley or who has acted in the same development.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Yaxley before retaining solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. Our surveyor advised that some banks will not give a loan on this type of house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements from Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can investigate further with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Yaxley. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Yaxley to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

I’m about to sell my garden flat in Yaxley. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have just had a yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is clear the service charge as you normally would as all ground rent and service invoices will be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Yaxley Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Does the lease contain onerous restrictions? The answer will be useful as a) areas can result in problems for the building as the common areas may start to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to have all the details Who is in charge of the block?