We are planning to purchase a 1 bedroom flat in Seaham with a mortgage. We have a Seaham conveyancer, however the mortgage company advise she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel firms or continue with our Seaham conveyancer and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer 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. A further alternative is for your Seaham conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

Do I select a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Seaham?

There are many registered licenced Conveyancers in Seaham and Solicitor practices in Seaham who provide Conveyancing services We would stress that both are supervised by regulatory bodies with both specialising in the legal work in transferring property. The two can handle associated property related work such as remortgage conveyancing, enfranchisement and transfer of equity conveyancing.

Can you help - my lawyer says that flying freehold insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Seaham conveyancing?

The appropriate level of flying freehold indemnity insurance should be dictated by who your lender. It would differ for example between Lloyds TSB Bank and Virgin Money. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to borrowers take out such policies.

Can I be sure that the Seaham conveyancing solicitor on the Nottingham panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Seaham seeking recommendations is a sensible 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 which is cheap as chips. We would always advise that you speak with the lawyer handling your conveyancing.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Seaham I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Seaham for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you can request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

In surfing the world wide web for the phrase cheap conveyancing in Seaham it reveals many conveyancersin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right solicitor for the sale of my house?

The ideal way of seeking the right conveyancer is through a trusted referral, so ask friends and family who have purchased a property in Seaham or the local estate agent or financial adviser. Costs for conveyancing in Seaham differ, so it's advisable to obtain at least four estimates from varying types of solicitors. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.

We are in the middle of purchasing a residence in Seaham. Conveyancing solicitor has told us the property is "Leasehold". Does this impact the marketability of the property?

Seaham conveyancing does not ordinarily involve leasehold houses. The crucial consideration here is the unexpired lease term and the ground rent. If there are over a hundred years remaining with a nominal rent, it's essentially freehold, so it shouldn't impact the saleability too much.

At the other end of the spectrum, if it's, say, fifty five years it will have a material effect on the saleability, and probably wouldn't be acceptable to the lender. The length of lease and ground rent will be specified in the lease which should be made available to your conveyancing practitioner.