My fiance and I are planning to purchase a home in Edingale and have appointed a Edingale conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Halifax have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Edingale conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is conventional for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the mortgage company. 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 Accreditation 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 are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Edingale lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

I am hoping to move into my new home in Edingale next Tuesday. My conveyancing practitioner now wants me to supply her with evidence of content and building insurance for the property as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the mortgage company. What does the insurance need to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for lenders would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 conditions. These requirements are not limited to conveyancing in Edingale.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am wet behind the ears as FTB of a two bedroom flat in Edingale. Do I collect the keys to the premises on completion from my lawyer? If so, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in Edingale?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the purchase money to the vendor’s conveyancers, and once they have received this, you will be invited to pick up the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this occurs early afternoon.

Does a directory service exist listing Principality panel solicitors in Edingale on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such directory service on the CML or Building Society Association sites. Very few mortgage companies make their panel listings available on the web. Where you are in need of a Edingale solicitor on the Principality please use our tool.

I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Edingale on 7/10/2024, valuation was booked 3 days later, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Principality and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Principality conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Principality to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Principality conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Edingale. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.

Here is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Edingale

Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Please supply a car parking plan. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose?

Completion is due on our sale of a £475,000 flat in Edingale next Thursday. The landlords agents has quoted £348 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Edingale?

Edingale conveyancing on leasehold apartments more often than not necessitates the buyer’s conveyancer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to these enquiries most will be content to do so. They are at liberty to charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it is in excess of £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the charge is not strictly payable. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I inherited a split level flat in Edingale, conveyancing having been completed 10 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Edingale with over 90 years remaining are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 2087

With only 63 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.