I am acquiring a newly constructed apartment in Hulme and my lawyer is advising me that she has to the bank to reveal incentives from the seller. I am on a tight deadline to exchange and I would rather not delay the conveyancing. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancing practitioner. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

I am buying a new build apartment in Hulme. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Hulme

Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier?

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in Hulme I like with open areas and station nearby, however it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Hulme suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

How do I use your search app to get a costs illustration from a conveyancing practitioner in Hulme on the approved list for my mortgage?

1st select a lender such as Yorkshire Building Society, The Royal Bank of Scotland or Barclays Direct then specify your preferred area a common one being Hulme. Conveyancing practices in Hulme and further afield should be listed.

My partner and I are acquiring a ground floor flat in Hulme. When we first instructed property lawyer, they told us that they were on all major UK bank panels. The mortgage broker contacted us just now to say that they are not on the Leeds Building Society approved list. Were it to be true, what should we do? Should we just choose a different solicitor that is on their panel or should we pay for dual representation, with Leeds Building Society appointing their own approved lawyer.

When buying a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser’s lawyers to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a solicitor has to be on that lender's list of approved lawyers. An application has to be made by the conveyancer to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the conveyancing practitioner has to meet. Some mortgage companies now require their panel firms to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact Leeds Building Society to find out if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on Leeds Building Society's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Hulme solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.