We were just about to sign contracts for a ground floor flat in West Barnes. We encountered a stumbling block. Our mortgage offer with Britannia expires on 31/3/2025 but the vendors are suggesting a completion date of 2/4/2025. Is it possible to prolong the loan expiry date?

The person best placed to deal with your issue is your conveyancer who will assess whether they should be discussing with the mortgage company, vendor’s solicitors, property agents or possibly all parties based on the history of your house move to date.

Having spent time researching moneysavingexpert.com for a conveyancing solicitor in West Barnes, most say that I should use a CQS kitemarked solicitor. Can you explain what CQS is?

The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised kitemark for legal experts in home moving process, trusted by some of the UK's biggest mortgage companies. Four years ago the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). CQS is not a scheme offered by the Society for Licensed Conveyancers. West Barnes is one of the numerous areas in England and Wales where there are Accredited lawyers.

I'm the sole recipient of my late grandmother’s will with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in West Barnes. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in December. I now wish to sell up. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship will be treated the same way as if I'd bought the property in December. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?

The CML handbook instructs solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be impacted by that. many banks would take a practical view as this obligation is primarily there to pick up on subsales or the flipping of property.

We previously chose conveyancing lawyers located in West Barnes on the TSB solicitor approved list. They have just billed me a supplemental charge for the legal aspects of the TSB mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by TSB?

As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your solicitor is entitled to levy a fee for this. The charge is not set by TSB but by your West Barnes conveyancer. Plenty of firms on the TSB panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in West Barnes. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £175. Not long after, the solicitor called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Co-operative panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Should I be suspicious about 3rd parties that I am dealing with are suggesting a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a High Street West Barnes conveyancing firm?

As is the case with many professional services, often referrals from family and friends can be extremely useful or valuable. Yet there are numerous people with a vested interest in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and mortgage companies might all recommend lawyers to instruct. Sometimes the lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but sometimes there behind the scenes commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You are at liberty to select your own conveyancer. However, bear in mind that some mortgage providers operate an approved list of conveyancers you are obliged to use for the lender related work in your conveyancing.

Is there a reason that West Barnes conveyancing charges differ for leasehold and freehold properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in West Barnes more often than not will involve additional due diligence such as checking the lease, communicating with the landlord, obtaining up to date rent receipts, landlord’s consents, management company’s accounts etc.