What happens if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Kent Reliance Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Whitefield?

First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Whitefield. Conveyancing is required. What is next?

Given that you are now exchanged you must hire the services of a conveyancing lawyer soon as you are facing a tight deadline in which to complete the deal. An auction property will ordinarily have a bespoke auction pack. This should include evidence of title and search results. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the conveyancing pack may provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork specific to a leasehold property. You should pass this on to the lawyer instructed by you ASAP. Do make sure that that you have the requisite funding in order to complete on the date specified in the contract.

We were going to get a OIP from Leeds Building Society this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Leeds Building Society recommend any Whitefield solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Whitefield solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Leeds Building Society through the process.

At last I have had an offer on a flat in Whitefield accepted, the owners do nevertheless have a connected purchase. The owners have placed an offer on on an apartment, but it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other apartments booked. I have selected a local conveyancing solicitor in Whitefield. What should be my next step? At what stage do I apply for the mortgage with Coventry BS?

It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Whitefield conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you should ensure that your lawyer is on the Coventry BS approved list. Regarding the next stages this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your transaction, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. In a hot market the majority of home buyers will apply for a home loan with Coventry BS and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their conveyancing practitioner to press on with the conveyancing in Whitefield.

I'm buying a new build house in Whitefield with a loan from Santander. The developers refused to budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not reveal to my solicitor about the deal as it would put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

We're novice buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the selling agent advised that the owners will only issue a contract if we use the agent's chosen conveyancers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a high street conveyancer with experience of conveyancing in Whitefield

We suspect that the seller is unaware of this requirement. Should the vendor desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated purchaser is counter productive. Try to communicate with the owners directly and explain that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to progress, with finances arranged © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you are going to instruct your own,trusted Whitefield conveyancing firm - not the ones that will earn their estate agent a kickback or hit his conveyancing figures set by HQ.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Whitefield from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Whitefield can be reduced if you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
The majority of landlords or Management Companies in Whitefield charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Whitefield. If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over rather than unsettled. If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Whitefield leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. Should you fail to have the paperwork in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance. You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the lease term is below 75 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

I am the registered owner of a split level flat in Whitefield, conveyancing was carried out in 2005. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Whitefield with a long lease are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2075

With only 51 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.