My wife and I have recently appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Wythenshawe. I need to find out whether they are on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Could you or the lender confirm if they are on the panel?

The first thing you should do is call the conveyancer and enquire whether they can act for the bank. Otherwise you can get in touch with Barclays who may be able to confirm.

Have just purchased a repossessed house at auction in Wythenshawe. Conveyancing is required. What is next?

Having exchanged you will need to retain a conveyancing lawyer as a matter of urgency as you are faced with a pending deadline in which to complete the conveyancing. Every auction property will have an associated auction set of papers. This will include most,if not all of the documents that your conveyancer will need. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the auction papers may include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation pertinent to a leasehold property. You must give this to the lawyer instructed by you at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that you have funds organised to complete on the date specified in the contract.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Principality. Wythenshawe conveyancing practitioners have been selected. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Principality?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Principality completed the survey? Have you informed Principality as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Principality conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

After what feels like an age I have had an offer on a flat in Wythenshawe accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have placed an offer on on an apartment, but it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other apartments booked. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Wythenshawe. What should be my next step? When do I get the mortgage application with TSB started?

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 (mortgage application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then survey, Wythenshawe conveyancing search costs, etc). The first thing to do is check that your conveyancer is on the TSB approved list. Regarding the next stages this very much depends on the specifics of your transaction, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. In a hot market many home buyers would apply for the mortgage with TSB and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their property lawyer to proceed with the conveyancing in Wythenshawe.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one close by in Wythenshawe I like with open areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Wythenshawe for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities 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 matter.

I’m about to sell my 2 bed flat in Wythenshawe. Conveyancing has not commenced, however I have recently received a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is discharge the invoice as you normally would because all rents and maintenance invoices should be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

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

Who manages the block? Best to be warned whether redecorating or some other major work is due in the foreseeable future to be shared amongst the leaseholders and will dramatically impact the level of the maintenance charges or require a one off invoice. Is the freehold owned jointly by the tenants?

Are Wythenshawe conveyancing solicitors duty bound by the Law Society to supply transparent conveyancing figures?

Contained within the Solicitors Code of Conduct are prescriptive rules and regulations as to how the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) allow solicitors to publicise their fees to clients.The Law Society have practice note giving advice on how to publicise transparent charges to avoid breaching any such rule. Practice notes are not legal advice issued by the Law Society and is not to be interpreted as the only standard of good practice a conveyancing solicitor should adhere to. The Practice Note does, nevertheless, represent the Law Society’s perspective of acceptable practice for publicising conveyancing charges, and accordingly it’s a recommended read for any solicitor or conveyancer in Wythenshawe or across England and Wales.