I'm in the process of switching my current residential mortgage to a Buy to Let Britannia mortgage. The bank has said that I require a conveyancer as part of the process. I spoke to my past St Pancras conveyancing solicitor who acted on my behalf when I originally bought the premises. The quote supplied of £450 plus VAT is surprising as its a refinance than a sale or purchase.

The estimate does seem a little steep. If you shop around you may be able to shave off some of the expense by perhaps £100 plus VAT. That being said, if you were content with the legal work the firm gave you mightlive to rue opting for an a cheaper lawyer. Don't forget to check the solicitor can represent Britannia. You can utilise our search tool to choose a St Pancras conveyancing firm on the Britannia conveyancing panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in St Pancras.

What is your number one tip for finding a conveyancing solicitor in St Pancras

Do not opt for the cheapest St Pancras conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

When it comes to lenders such as Bank of Ireland, do St Pancras property lawyers incur a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any lender fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Nationwide. St Pancras conveyancing practitioners were appointed. How long does it take for Nationwide to send the offer to the property lawyer?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Nationwide completed the survey? Have you advised Nationwide as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

Me and my brother own a renovated Victorian property in St Pancras. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Alliance & Leicester . I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in St Pancras and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the work.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business premises in St Pancras and how can your lawyers assist?

The particular law that you refer to provides security of tenure to business tenants, granting the dueness to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of an expired lease. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are involved. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. St Pancras is one of our many locations in which our lawyers have offices

Please can you clarify what options are open to me where my St Pancras conveyancing searches reveals negative entries?

Normally, almost all problems arising from St Pancras conveyancing search responses can be addressed ahead of completion or title insurance can be obtained. You should remember that regardless of the fact that you may be buying the premises and might be willing to accept the search results, your lender may not, and ultimately have the final decision.