My mortgage broker says he needs my Amersham lawyer’ panel reference for the HSBC conveyancing panel. Can you suggest how I obtain this. I have tried my local Amersham branch but they don't know it.

You are best placed to get this information from your Amersham property lawyer . Most Amersham conveyancing practices will retain a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each mortgage company.

I am remortgaging my house in Amersham, does my lawyer have to be on the Barclays Conveyancing panel?

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Barclays will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with two solicitors involved, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

A colleague suggested that where I am buying in Amersham I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Amersham conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Amersham around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Amersham.

I have recentlybecome aware that Wolstenholmes have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Amersham for a purchase of a leasehold flat 18 months ago. How can I be sure that the property is in my name in the name of the previous owner?

The easiest method to check if the property is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Amersham conveyancing specialists.

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Amersham conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Amersham conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you talk with two or three firms including non Amersham conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be useful:

Can they put you in touch with clients in Amersham who can give a testimonial? What volume of lease extensions have they completed in Amersham in the last 12 months?

Amersham Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

Please note if it is no more than 80 years it will affect the marketability of the property. It is worth checking with your bank that they are content with residual term of the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will probably require a lease extension at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the residence for two years before you are eligible to carry out a lease extension. The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the tenants enjoy control and although a managing agent is frequently retained where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. Can you tell me if there are any major works in the near future that will increase the service fees?