Is the fact that my solicitor in Berwick Upon Tweed is not identified on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?

That is more than likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the Berwick Upon Tweed conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The lender mentioned the home loan came with free conveyancing. Is the implication that I have to appoint their panel solicitor as I would prefer to use a Berwick Upon Tweed based conveyancing firm?

You should check but the the likelihood is that appoint one of their panel conveyancers where you want the "fee-free" offer. Contact the bank and explore if they make available a cash alternative. It is not unheard for a lender to give a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case that money can go towards the cost for your conveyancing solicitor in Berwick Upon Tweed.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Berwick Upon Tweed. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed. Before diving in I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Berwick Upon Tweed - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

How much is the annual service fee and ground rent? How long is the Lease? Is there a share of the freehold?

I have recently placed an offer on an apartment in Berwick Upon Tweed and the broker that we are dealing with recommended his solicitor. She quoted £900 including VAT and disbursements. Does this sound reasonable?

Don't just go on 1 quote. One should obtain like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Berwick Upon Tweed. Then select one that you trust and crucially, is on the approved panel of the bank that you are sourcing your mortgage from.