We are hoping to buy a 1 bedroom apartment in Pangbourne with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Pangbourne lawyer, but the lender says he's not on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to appoint one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or keep our Pangbourne property lawyer and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose 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 Pangbourne conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

I am buying a new build house in Pangbourne benefiting from help to buy. The builders would not move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The house builders rep advised me not to tell my lawyer about the deal as it would jeopardize my loan with Chelsea Building Society. Is this normal?.

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 am using a search engine for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Pangbourne it shows results of many property lawyersin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right conveyancing solicitor for my move?

The best way of seeking the right conveyancer is through a trusted testimonial, so seek the counsel of colleagues and relatives who have bought a property in Pangbourne or the local estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Pangbourne differ, so it's advisable to request at least three quotes from different conveyancers. Make sure that you know what costs in the quote includes.

I am attracted to a two flats in Pangbourne both have in the region of 50 years remaining on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Pangbourne. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As the lease shortens the saleability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more expensive to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We advise that you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area.

I acquired a 2 bed flat in Pangbourne, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in Pangbourne with an extended lease are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 2093

With only 69 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.

Builders have recommended to me a conveyancer and I've obtained an estimate from them. They are nearly £400 less expensive than my preferred Pangbourne solicitor. What's the catch?

Housebuilders frequently have lists of conveyancing practitioners who expedite matters and who know the developer’s contract and lawyer. As many developers offer an inducement to choose their approved property lawyer for this reason, any increased charges can be avoided and a builder won't recommend a conveyancing warehouse and run the risk of having the transaction delayed when they want exchange in 28 days. A counter-argument for not agreeing to use the suggested lawyer is that they may be unwilling to fight for your interests at the risk of upsetting the sellers. Where you have concerns that this may be the case you should stick with your local Pangbourne conveyancing practitioner.