My wife and I are planning to purchase a flat in Bracebridge Heath and have instructed a Bracebridge Heath conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with a view to exchanging next week. Godiva Mortgages Ltd have this morning contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Bracebridge Heath lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?

If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Bracebridge Heath lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

Can the conveyancing lawyers listed on your site handle auction conveyancing in Bracebridge Heath?

We know of a few auction practitioners we can connect you with those specialising in auction conveyancing. Bracebridge Heath is one of hundreds of locations where our lawyers have offices.

It is is a decade since I acquired my property in Bracebridge Heath. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been instructed on the sale but I am unable to locate the title documents. Will this cause complications?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be kept by the mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the solicitor who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Bracebridge Heath involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.

When reading online forums for a high-quality lawyer in Bracebridge Heath, most post that I must use a CQS assured lawyer. Can you explain what CQS is?

The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised quality mark for legal experts in home ownership transfers, trusted by some of the UK's leading mortgage companies. In 2011-12 the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Building Societies Association (BSA). CQS is not a scheme offered by the Society for Licensed Conveyancers. Bracebridge Heath is one of the many areas in England and Wales where there are CQS solicitors.

I am attracted to a two flats in Bracebridge Heath which have in the region of forty five years left on the leases. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a right to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease decreases and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is generally wise to extend the lease term. It is often difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Bracebridge Heath - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

How many years are left on the lease? Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that will likely increase the service costs? The majority of Bracebridge Heath leasehold properties will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the block levied by the management company. Where you purchase the flat you will have to meet this contribution, usually periodically accross the year. This could differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, normally this is not a exorbitant sum, say about £25-£75 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it can be surprisingly expensive.