My financial adviser says he needs my Freshwater lawyer’ panel reference for the Santander conveyancing panel. What is the best way to find this out. I have e-mailed my local Freshwater office but they have not got back to me yet.

The sensible thing to do is ask for this information from your Freshwater lawyer . They maintain a central record lender panel numbers.

We see that you have a post code search directory listing law firms on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I instruct them for our conveyancing in Freshwater?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Barclays conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Freshwater.

Should I choose a Freshwater conveyancing lawyer based in the area that I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can carry out the legal formalities but they are based a couple of hundredmiles away.

The primary upside of using a high street Freshwater conveyancing practice is that you can pop in to sign documents, hand in your ID and pester them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have instructed your friend and the majority were content that should surpass using an unknown Freshwater conveyancing lawyer just because they are local.

I would like to let out my leasehold flat in Freshwater. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

A small minority of properties in Freshwater do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

Freshwater Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

What is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the apartment? The prefered form of lease structure is where the freehold interest is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this arrangement the tenants have control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is often retained where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. It would be sensible to find out as much as you can about the managing agents as they will either make living at the property much easier or problematic. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day issues like the upkeep of the communal areas. You should not be afraid to ask other people whether they are happy with them. Finally, investigate as to the dates that the maintenance charges are due to the appropriate party and precisely what it includes.

Developers have put forward a property lawyer and I've obtained a quote from them. They are almost £250 cheaper than my local Freshwater lawyer. Should I use them?

Housebuilders frequently have lists of conveyancing practitioners who expedite matters and who know the builder's documentation and conveyancer. Plenty of developers offer an incentive to choose a preferred conveyancing practitioner for this reason, any increased fees can be avoided and a developer won't put forward a conveyancing factory and run the risk of having the transaction stall when they require an exchange within a tight deadline. The argument for not agreeing to use the suggested solicitor is that they may prove unwilling to fight for your interests for fear of upsetting the developer. If you worry that this may be the situation you should keep with your high street Freshwater conveyancer.