My partner and I are hoping to purchase a home in Catshill and have appointed a Catshill conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Birmingham Midshires have this morning contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Catshill lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?

If you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Catshill solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

My lawyer has informed me that missing deeds insurance is required on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Catshill conveyancing?

The right level of missing deeds indemnity insurance should be dictated by who your lender. It would differ for example between Nationwide Building Society and Barnsley Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to borrowers take out such policies.

We previously appointed conveyancing lawyers located in Catshill on the Nationwide solicitor panel. They are now charging me a supplemental amount for handling the Nationwide mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Nationwide?

As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your lawyer is entitled to levy a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Nationwide but by your Catshill property lawyer. Some firms on the Nationwide panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Catshill off the council. I have a mortgage offer with RBS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with RBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the RBS conveyancing panel.

Do commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that may impact a commercial site in Catshill?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Catshill will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Catshill. The search result provides definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Catshill.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Catshill it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can cause delays to Catshill commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for domestic conveyancing in Catshill.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in Catshill I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Catshill for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

If you require a mortgage that many years will be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they 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 speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

I am attracted to a two maisonettes in Catshill both have approximately fifty years remaining on the lease term. should I be concerned?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field.

I acquired a split level flat in Catshill, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar properties in Catshill with an extended lease are worth £175,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease ends on 21st October 2083

With 58 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £23,800 and £27,400 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.