I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and must be out of my rented flat in Burnley by the end of next month. Conveyancing on my purchase is progressing. Is it possible to complete in 4 weeks as don't want to have to find temporary accommodation?

It is unwise to provide notice on a rental until your lawyer suggests that you should. Assuming that you have not already done so, contact to your lawyer and urge them to they apply pressure on the sellers side, try to get a realistic time scale from them that all parties will aim towards

I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Burnley. I now require my papers but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Burnley of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Burnley I like with amenity areas and station nearby, however it only has 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Burnley suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

Am I right to be wary that estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a High Street Burnley conveyancing company?

As with many professional services, often input from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. Nevertheless there are many people with a keen interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders may put forward lawyers to appoint. Sometimes these conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but sometimes there behind the scenes financial incentive behind the recommendation. You have the right to appoint your own conveyancer. You need to be aware that most lenders specify a panel list of solicitors you have to use for the lender related work in your conveyancing.

Why am I unable to complete my conveyancing in Burnley on a public holiday?

Because on completion the funds will pass between the banks of the purchaser and seller's lawyer and at present this can only occur on a working day. It is not possible to complete on a saturday or sunday either.