My best friend’s mother is a property lawyer. I anticipate that I will receive preferential fee for conveyancing, However if that does not come materialise, what level of costs should I be paying for conveyancing in Stanley?

It’s advisable to request two or three conveyancing estimates. Make use of our comparison tool on this site. You will notice that fees seem to be different but the service one can expect are distinct between property lawyers as is true with the vast majority of professional services.

We previously chose conveyancing lawyers based in Stanley on the Nationwide solicitor panel. They are now charging me a supplemental charge for the legal aspects of the Nationwide mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Nationwide?

As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your solicitor may levy a fee for this. The fee is not set by Nationwide but by your Stanley solicitor. Plenty of firms on the Nationwide panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but plenty of practices include it on their overall fee.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Stanley. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Lloyds have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Lloyds your lawyer must follow the conveyancing instructions contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Lloyds. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Lloyds where a lease does not meet these provisions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Stanley.

I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in September 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Santander are being difficult. The Stanley solicitor who is on the Santander conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Santander are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Santander have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Santander have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Santander may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Will my solicitor be making enquiries concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Stanley.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Stanley. There are those who buy a property in Stanley, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various checks that can be carried out by the purchaser or by their solicitors which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Stanley. The standard completed inquiry forms supplied to a buyer’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual question of the vendor to determine if the premises has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the owner, then a purchaser may commence a claim for damages as a result of such an misleading response. A buyer’s solicitors will also conduct an enviro search. This will disclose whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further inquiries should be initiated.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one near me in Stanley I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Stanley suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

As co-executor for the will of my aunt I am selling a residence in Swansea but live in Stanley. My conveyancer (based 250 kilometers from mehas requested that I execute a stat dec prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Stanley who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are based in Stanley