I am selling my home in County Durham and the EA has just called to advise that the purchasers are switching solicitor. The excuse is that the bank will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. Why would a big named mortgage company only engage with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in County Durham ?

Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the past few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 25 years.

Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

Are you able to suggest a HSBC Bank sanctioned County Durham conveyancing solicitor who can have us moved in within 10 days? Would it be better to use a local County Durham firm or an internet comparison site?

We can recommend some very good County Durham conveyancing firms. You can also walk up the high street in County Durham. Go in to a couple of firms and ask to speak with a conveyancing solicitor for a fee estimate. Discuss your deadline together with your reasons and get a commitment on your deadline. Select the one that appears most efficient.

I am purchasing a new build flat in County Durham. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in County Durham you will have to appoint a solicitor on your lender's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in County Durham.

What can a local search reveal concerning the house we're purchasing in County Durham?

County Durham conveyancing often commences with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company for instance Onsearch The local search is essential in every County Durham conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search should supply information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic areas.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in County Durham. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

County Durham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying

Its a good idea to discover as much as possible concerning the company managing the building as they will either make your life much easier or problematic. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily issues like the cleanliness of the communal areas. Enquire of other people what they think of their service. In conclusion, be sure you know the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the appropriate party and precisely what you get for your money. It would be sensible to investigate if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. For example it is reasonably common in County Durham leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in County Durham. If you love the propertyin County Durham but your cat is not allowed to move with you then you will be faced hard compromise. How much is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the apartment?