I have been recommended a conveyancing solicitor in Warrington. I I would like to check if they are accepted on the Nottingham Building Society approved list of lawyers. Can you assist?

You should phone your lawyer and enquire whether they are on the lender panel. Alternatively you should get in touch with Nottingham Building Society who may be able to confirm.

A relative pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Warrington there could be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to the property. Is this right?

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

I'm the single recipient of my late mum's estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Warrington. The Warrington property was put into my name in December. I plan to dispose of the property. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', meaning 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 affected by that. How practical a view mortgage companies take of it, depend on the mortgage company as this clause primarily exists to pick up on subsales or the quick reselling of property.

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

As you are obtaining a mortgage with UBS your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing instructions contained in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for UBS. The CML Handbook includes minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to UBS where a lease fails to meet these provisions. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Warrington.

Me and my brother have a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Warrington. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and The Mortgage Works. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to read 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Warrington and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the position with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Warrington. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

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. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part 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 invested in buying a 1st floor flat in Warrington, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2008. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar properties in Warrington with over 90 years remaining are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2090

With just 65 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £13,300 and £15,400 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending 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 may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should 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.

Been on the hunt for a conveyancing practitioner for freehold sale conveyancing in Warrington. I'm selling, simple no mortgage to pay off, no rush, no onward purchase. Had an estimate from a lawyer for £1000 including VAT which is a tad expensive considering its so straightforward. Is it possible to find less expensive fees for conveyancing in Warrington?

Given that it’s a sale only, £450 + VAT should be about the cheapest for a Warrington solicitor firm.