I am progressing with the sale of my apartment in Colwall and the estate agent has just telephoned to advise that the purchasers are switching solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only work with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only engage with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Colwall ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for more than 15 years.

Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

What is your number one tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Colwall

We would encourage you not to go for the cheapest Colwall conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

We expect to receive a AIP from Skipton this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Skipton recommend any Colwall solicitors on the Skipton conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Colwall solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Skipton conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Skipton through the process.

I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in August 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Lloyds are being a right pain. The Colwall solicitor who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Lloyds are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Lloyds have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Lloyds have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Lloyds may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Various online forums that I have come across warn that are the number one reason for hinderance in Colwall conveyancing transactions. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released determinations of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the common causes of hindrances during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Colwall.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Colwall prior to appointing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. My surveyor has said that some lenders tend not give a loan on a flying freehold property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Colwall. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

We are in the process of buying a home in Colwall. Conveyancing is not yet done but we would like have our transaction price confidential from the likes of Zoopla. How can this be achieved ?

HMLR as a matter of law required to disclose price sold information on the official title for residential properties countrywide which includes premises in Colwall. The register of ownership is an open document, so HM Land Registry would be breaching their statutory obligations if they failed to permit access to the register.

In essence you can ask HM Land Registry to hide the price paid data however the response would be in the negative.