I am progressing with the sale of my house in Haverfordwest and the EA has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are switching law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major mortgage company only work with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Haverfordwest ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for many years.

Lenders point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say 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. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

We are purchasing a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Haverfordwest who is on the HSBC approved panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for HSBC . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Haverfordwest.

I am looking to buy a flat and require a conveyancing solicitor in Haverfordwest who is on the The Mortgage Works approved. Can you recommend a local solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for The Mortgage Works in certain locations such as Haverfordwest. We dont recommend any particular firm.

My husband and I have arranged the release of further funds on our mortgage from Virgin Money as we wish to carry out renovations to our property in Haverfordwest. Are we obliged to appoint a high street Haverfordwest solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?

Virgin Money do not ordinarily require a member of their conveyancing panel to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Virgin Money list.

My fiancee and I are in the throws of looking at flats in Haverfordwest and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it advisable to have a conveyancing practitioner on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a mortgage with RBS.

It would be wise to start your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the estate agent. As you are taking out a mortgage with RBS, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the RBS conveyancing panel.

I've read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Haverfordwest solicitor - who is on the UBS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

UBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually UBS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Haverfordwest surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Haverfordwest I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Haverfordwest in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

Should you need a home loan that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.