It has come to my attention via my mortgage adviser that my Wiltshire property lawyer is not on the bank Solicitor panel. How can I be sure whether this is correct?

Your first step should be to contact your Wiltshire conveyancer. You lawyer should notify you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your lender.

What is your number one tip for finding a conveyancing solicitor in Wiltshire

Do not opt for the cheapest Wiltshire conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.

is it true that all Wiltshire conveyancing solicitors on the Barclays conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Barclays approved list of solicitors they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the organisation would be overseen by the CLC.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Santander. Wiltshire conveyancing lawyers were chosen. How long does it take for Santander to issue the offer to the lawyer?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Santander done the survey? Have you advised Santander as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Santander conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

I have todaydiscovered that Wolstenholmes have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in Wiltshire for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 12 months ago. How can I establish that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest method to check if the property is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Wiltshire conveyancing specialists.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Wiltshire I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Wiltshire for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Wiltshire. Conveyancing and Leeds Building Society mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Wiltshire who acted for me is not around. Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Wiltshire conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Wiltshire - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

It would be wise to investigate if the the lease includes any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. By way of example some leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Wiltshire. If you love the propertyin Wiltshire yet your dog is not allowed to move with you then you will be faced hard determination. How much is the ground rent and service charge? Is there a share of the freehold?