I am selling my flat in Burton Joyce and the estate agent has just e-mailed to warn that the purchasers are appointing a new solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a leading lender only work with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Burton Joyce ?

UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the last few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Banks blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are not going to have any impact on this.

What does a local search tell me about the property we're buying in Burton Joyce?

Burton Joyce conveyancing often starts with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations for instance PSG The local search is essential in every Burton Joyce conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search will reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject areas.

My brother has suggested that I use his lawyers for conveyancing in Burton Joyce. Should I choose my own solicitor?

Much as we are happy to recommend a Burton Joyce conveyancing lawyer the ideal way to choose a conveyancing lawyer is to have guidance from friends or family who have actually used the firm that you are considering.

Back In 2007, I bought a leasehold house in Burton Joyce. Conveyancing and Nottingham Building Society mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in Burton Joyce who acted for me is not around. What should I do?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Burton Joyce conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I bought a ground floor flat in Burton Joyce, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2008. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Burton Joyce with an extended lease are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2077

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

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should 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. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.

Living abroad it is not practicable to be present at my Burton Joyce conveyancing solicitors office to execute documents connected to my conveyancing in Burton Joyce – will this be problematic?

Not a problem. Burton Joyce conveyancing solicitors can handle home moves for clients throughout the rest of the country. You are unlikely to be required to be present a Burton Joyce conveyancers office. They can deal with all communications via phone, post and email - whatever works for you.