My husband and I are buying a 3 bedroom flat in Acocks Green with a mortgage. We have a Acocks Green solicitor, but the mortgage company advise he's not on their "panel". It seems we have no option but to use one of the bank panel conveyancing practices or keep our Acocks Green lawyer and pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. This seems very unfair; can we not demand that the bank use our Acocks Green property lawyer ?

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 Acocks Green conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

Our lender has suggested solicitors on their panel based in Acocks Green but I would rather choose a conveyancing lawyer in Acocks Green local to me. Can you assist?

Far from all Acocks Green conveyancing solicitors are listed all banks conveyancing panel. Do make use of our find an approved solicitor tool to locate a Acocks Green conveyancing firm on the on the lender panel.

What will a local search tell me about the house I am purchasing in Acocks Green?

Acocks Green conveyancing often starts with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for example PSG The local search is essential in every Acocks Green conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any nasty once you have moved into your new home. The search will provide information 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.

What does commercial conveyancing in Acocks Green cover?

Acocks Green conveyancing for business premises incorporates a broad array of guidance, given by regulated solicitors, relating to business property. By way of example, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the assignment of existing business tenancies or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial loans and the termination of leases.

Last July I purchased a leasehold property in Acocks Green. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I invested in buying a 2 bed flat in Acocks Green, conveyancing having been completed March 2007. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Acocks Green with an extended lease are worth £191,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2077

With 53 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £27,600 and £31,800 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.