I sincerely hope you can help me. My Trafford conveyancer is advising me that he is legally obliged toapply for Trafford conveyancing searches resulting from the fact thatthe firm are on the Virgin Moneyapproved lawyer panel. Is this really necessary?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with a bank your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook requirements . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Trafford conveyancing searches.

A relative advised me that in buying a property in Trafford there could be various restrictions prohibiting external alterations to the property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Trafford which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Trafford should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I am the only beneficiary of my late father’s will and I have everything in my name now, including the my former home in Trafford. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in December. I plan to dispose of the house. I understand that there is a CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship will be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the property in December. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The CML handbook instructs conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you may be caught by that. Most lenders would take a sensible view as this clause primarily exists to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the quick reselling of property.

Our offer on a detached house in Trafford has been agreed to, but there is a chain. The owners have placed an offer on somewhere, however it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other apartments booked. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Trafford. What should be my next step? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Coventry BS?

It is understandable to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then survey, Trafford conveyancing search charges, etc). First, you should ensure that your solicitor is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Regarding the next phase this very much depends on the specifics of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot market the majority of buyers will apply for a home loan with Coventry BS and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their property lawyer to proceed with the conveyancing in Trafford.

The deeds to my house are lost. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Trafford 4 years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?

Assuming the title is registered the details of your proprietorship will be held by HMLR under a Title Number. It is possible to carry out a search at the Land Registry, find your house and order up to date copies of the property title for a small fee. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases retain a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for twenty pounds.

I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for sale conveyancing in Trafford. I happened to stumble upon a web site which appears to be the perfect solution If it is possible to get all the legals done via email that would be preferable. Do I need to be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?

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?

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Trafford conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Trafford conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Trafford conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be helpful:

How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation? If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Trafford - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Are there any major works in the near future that could increase the service charges? What prohibitions are contained in the Trafford Lease? How long is the Lease?