Me and my husband are buying a ground floor flat in Corston. My lawyer is not on the lender conveyancing panel. Can I still appoint my Corston conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the lender panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?

One will need to have a solicitor to deal with the formalities if you require a mortgage to purchase your home. They will carry out all the appropriate investigations on the property, ensuring that you will be properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the required mortgage documentation is in order. One may appoint a Corston property lawyer of your choice. However, where the conveyancer selected is not on the lender approved list additional costs will arise as separate legal representation will be need by the bank. Lender panel applications can be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not historically sought membership they should take the chance to apply.

Are the Corston conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Bank of Ireland?

Corston conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Bank of Ireland directly.

There is lots of here concerning conveyancing in Corston but what is your top tip for finding the right conveyancer in Corston

We would encourage you not to go for the lowest Corston conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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.

I can not work out if my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Corston bank branch on various occasions and was told it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Corston conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Your solicitor must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two specifications for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Corston. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £175. Shortly after, the conveyancer called me to say that they were not on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Leeds Building Society panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Will my lawyer be asking questions concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Corston.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers specialising in conveyancing in Corston. There are those who purchase a house in Corston, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous searches that may be carried out by the buyer or by their solicitors which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in Corston. The standard information given to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a standard question of the seller to discover if the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not disclosed by the owner, then a buyer may bring a legal claim for losses resulting from an misleading answer. The purchaser’s lawyers should also commission an enviro search. This should indicate if there is any known flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be made.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Corston is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can give?

Flying freeholds in Corston are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Corston you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Corston may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.