My husband and I are planning to acquire a house in Little Mill and are in fact using a Little Mill conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our property lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Birmingham Midshires have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Little Mill lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is usual for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent 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 Accreditation 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 don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Little Mill lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

Will our lawyer be asking questions concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Little Mill.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers conducting conveyancing in Little Mill. Some people will acquire a property in Little Mill, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a various checks that may be initiated by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which will figure out the risks in Little Mill. The standard property information forms sent to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a standard question of the owner to discover whether the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the vendor, then a buyer could bring a legal claim for losses stemming from an misleading response. A purchaser’s solicitors should also order an enviro report. This should disclose if there is any known flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be initiated.

How easy is it to use the search app to find a conveyancing lawyer in Little Mill on the approved list for my mortgage?

Step one is to select a lender such as Barclays , Skipton Building Society or Barclays Direct then specify your location such as Little Mill. Conveyancing organisations in Little Mill and across England and Wales should be identified.

In my capacity as executor for the estate of my father I am selling a property in Swansea but live in Little Mill. My conveyancer (based 250 kilometers from meneeds me to execute a statutory declaration before completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Little Mill to attest and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are located in Little Mill

I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Little Mill. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Little Mill ?

The majority of houses in Little Mill 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. It is clear that you are purchasing in Little Mill in which case you should be looking for a Little Mill conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should appraise you on the various issues.

I bought a basement flat in Little Mill, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding properties in Little Mill with an extended lease are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2089

With only 64 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £15,200 and £17,600 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account 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 getting professional advice.