My fiance and I are planning to acquire a flat in Leconfield and have instructed a Leconfield conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our conveyancer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Birmingham Midshires have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Leconfield conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?

Where you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your lender and see 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 are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Leconfield solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

My partner and I are buying our first house. Our conveyancer has texted usto ask if we wish to purchase supplemental conveyancing searches. Frankly we have no idea as to what's recommended for conveyancing in Leconfield

The type of Leconfield conveyancing searches depends entirely on the premises, the location, the probability of any of these risks, your familiarity of the area and risks, your general appetite to risk. What matters is that you properly comprehend what information each search could provide. Then you can decide if you personally think you need that information. If unclear, ask your property lawyer to guide you.

As a first time buyer what is the most important piece of guidance you can impart regarding purchase conveyancing in Leconfield?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Leconfield and elsewhere in East Yorkshire is often a confrontational experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists lots of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the house moving process. E.g., the vendor, selling agent and on occasion a bank. Choosing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Leconfield an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the process whose role it is to look after your legal interests and to keep you safe.

There is a distinct ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone must be at fault for the process being so protracted. You should always trust your conveyancer above the other parties in the conveyancing process.

My colleague advised me that if I am purchasing in Leconfield I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Leconfield conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Leconfield around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Leconfield Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Leconfield.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Leconfield. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Leconfield ?

Most houses in Leconfield are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Leconfield in which case you should be shopping around for a Leconfield conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

I acquired a split level flat in Leconfield, conveyancing formalities finalised February 2009. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Leconfield with over 90 years remaining are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2087

You have 63 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.