I am not well enough to travel far from Garston. Can you please spell out why all Garston lawyers are not on all lender panels?

As inequitable as it may appear for banks to limit who can represent them, from the public’s or solicitor’s standpoint, the flip side is that lending institutions are becoming ever more anxious and regard it essential to shield themselves from mortgage fraud. As a result of this concern banks are limiting their conveyancing panel to a size that they are happy to control.

Why do I have to pay up front for conveyancing in Garston?

If you are buying a property in Garston your lawyer will request that you to provide them with funds to cover the search fees. Ordinarily this is requested to cover the fees of the conveyancing searches. When the deposit is payable against the total price then this will be required shortly ahead of exchange of contracts. Any further balance that is needed should be transferred a few days prior to the day of completion.

Is it correct that all Garston CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing list of approved firms?

It is true that some lenders now make use of the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their approved list of firms.

My wife and I are at the point of looking at houses in Garston and I am now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this point? I am planning to take a home loan with Bank of Ireland.

You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the estate agent. Given that you are seeking a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.

I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in October 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Santander are being pedantic. The Garston solicitor who is on the Santander conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Santander are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Santander have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Santander have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Santander 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.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Garston I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Garston suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

Been reading online that Garston solicitors are more costly than licensed conveyancers in Garston to use when buying a house. Am I better off using a conveyancer or a solicitor if I am buying for my home move in Garston.

When it comes to conveyancing in Garston the costs are unlikely to vary dramatically depending on whether the legal expert is a licenced conveyancer or solicitor.