My wife and I have lately bought a house in South Lambeth. We have noticed several problems with the property which we suspect were missed in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? What searches should? have been ordered for conveyancing in South Lambeth?

It is not clear from the question as to the nature of the problems and if they are specific to conveyancing in South Lambeth. Conveyancing searches and due diligence initiated during the legal transfer of property are designed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, the vendor fills in a document referred to as a Seller’s Property Information Form. If the information ends up being incorrect, then you may have a claim against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in South Lambeth.

We see that you have a search directory identifying solicitors on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I retain them for our own conveyancing in South Lambeth?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in South Lambeth.

The South Lambeth conveyancing solicitors that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in South Lambeth have suddenly closed. They were on acting for me because I needed a firm on the Nationwide conveyancing panel and my family South Lambeth lawyer was not. I cut them a cheque for £250 in advance. What do I do now?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to assist.

Can you point me to a directory of Aldermore panel solicitors in South Lambeth on the Building Society Association’s Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such tool on the CML or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of lending institutions make their panel listings open the public online. If you are seeking to appoint a South Lambeth solicitor on the Aldermore please use our facility.

We have agreed to purchase a house in South Lambeth. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Nationwide be concerned?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Nationwide your lawyer must check the formal instructions contained in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Nationwide. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Nationwide where a lease does not meet these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to South Lambeth.

Nottingham have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a house in South Lambeth has been agreed to, now what?

Your estate agent will need to know who your solicitors are (ensure that the lawyers are on the lender’s panel). Call up Nottingham or the financial adviser and finalise any relevant paperwork. Nottingham will instruct a valuer who will get in touch with the selling agent or seller to arrange a time for the valuation to occur. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes on average a week for the mortgage offer to be issued. Nottingham will send the offer to you and your lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in South Lambeth.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in South Lambeth. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I inherited a 2 bed flat in South Lambeth, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in South Lambeth with over 90 years remaining are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2090

You have 65 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.