My fiance and I wish to acquire a newbuild flat in Hollywood with a homeloan from The Royal Bank of Scotland.We have a Hollywood conveyancing lawyer but The Royal Bank of Scotland says his firm is not on their "panel". we are left little option but to use a The Royal Bank of Scotland panel solicitor or retain our high street solicitor and fork out for a The Royal Bank of Scotland panel lawyer to represent them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that The Royal Bank of Scotland use our lawyer?

No, not really. The mortgage issued to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers needs to be on the The Royal Bank of Scotland approved list. in the past, most mortgage companies had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for The Royal Bank of Scotland

Can I be sure that the Hollywood conveyancing solicitor on the Virgin Money panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Hollywood obtaining recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always suggest that you speak with the lawyer handling your transaction.

I am expecting a AIP from Nottingham this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Nottingham recommend any Hollywood solicitors on the Nottingham conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Hollywood solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Nottingham through the process.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Hollywood. I have a mortgage offer with HSBC. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with HSBC, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the HSBC conveyancing panel.

Have completed on a a terraced house in Hollywood , how long should it take for the Land Registry to register my title? My Hollywood conveyancing solicitor has been very slow, so I want to check that my name is registered.

There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Hollywood registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ depending on the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry communicate with any other persons or bodies. As of today approximately three quarters of such applications are fully addressed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be protracted delays. Registration occurs once the buyer is living at the property thus post completion formalities is not usually an essential issue but where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.

Should I choose a Hollywood conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am buying? I have an old university friend who can carry out the conveyancing however her office is a couple of hundredkilometers away.

The benefit of a local Hollywood conveyancing practice is that you can pop in to execute documents, deliver your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a benefit. However it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have used your friend and the majority were happy that must trump using an unknown Hollywood conveyancing solicitor just because they are Hollywood based.

I own a leasehold flat in Hollywood. Conveyancing was finalised in 2009. I have read on numerous consumer forums that I should not allow the the remaining lease term to get too low. Why is that a problem?

Hollywood leasehold properties are for a fixed period - often ninety nine years when they started. However many appartments in Hollywood were constructed or converted in the 60’s and so such leases now have fewer than eighty years left to run. That may sound like a long time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage institutions generally need leases to have at least seventy five years left to be mortgageable. Accordingly when you come to sell the property you will need to extend the term of your lease if you are approaching 75 years. To increase the marketability of your property you should be considering whether to extend your lease well in advance of selling the property. Please note that there are strong financial reasons to taking action before the lease reaches even eighty years as when the lease falls below 80 years the premium to be paid to extend starts to increase.