My IFA requires my Sheffield solicitor’s panel reference for the Santander conveyancing panel. How do I obtain this. I have e-mailed my local Sheffield branch but they cant find it on their system.

You are best placed to get this information from your Sheffield property lawyer . Most Sheffield conveyancing firms will keep a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each bank.

Do banks and building societies provide you with an approved list of Sheffield conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the UBS conveyancing panel?

Sheffield conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the UBS conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from UBS directly.

I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for residential conveyancing in Sheffield. I have stumble upon a site which seems to have the ideal offering If there is a chance to get all the legals done via phone that would be ideal. Should I be wary? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

I am a negotiator for a busy estate agent office in Sheffield where we have experienced a number of leasehold sales put at risk due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received contradictory information from local Sheffield conveyancing firms. Can you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I purchased a 2 bed flat in Sheffield, 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 Sheffield with a long lease are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £65 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2085

With only 61 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £19,000 and £22,000 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

My wife and I are disposing of a Sheffield bungalow we inherited six years ago in 2010. I have over a decades worth of conveyancing knowledge and, now retired, wish to do the legal work. The purchaser's property lawyer has informed me that their mortgage company will not allow us to do our own conveyancing mandating that the funds to be passed via a solicitor's bank account.

Lending instructions to lawyers from all mainstream lenders specify that If the vendor is not legally represented the purchaser’s lawyers should check whether the bank needs to be informed so that a decision can be reached as to whether or not they are prepared to move forward.