I am in the process of remortgaging my property in High Peak, does my lawyer have to be on the Santander Solicitor panel?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Santander conveyancing panel, but Santander would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.

I am buying a new build house in High Peak with a loan from Barnsley Building Society. The sellers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not disclose to my lawyer about the extras as it would put at risk my loan with Barnsley Building Society. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I was pointed in your direction by numerous estate agents in High Peak to select a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to offer your lawyers over and above another?

We don’t give any referral fee for directing people in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

As co-executor for the estate of my aunt I am selling a house in Cardiff but live in High Peak. My solicitor (who is 300 miles awayrequires that I sign a stat dec prior to completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in High Peak who can witness this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are High Peak based

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a High Peak conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a High Peak conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you speak with two or three firms including non High Peak conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be of use:

How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation? What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in High Peak in the last 12 months?

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in High Peak, conveyancing having been completed April 2005. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in High Peak with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2077

You have 52 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.