My partner and I are purchasing a flat in Cambridge. My property lawyer has never been on on the bank conveyancing list. Can I still appoint my Cambridge conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the mortgage company panel?

Your options include

• Proceed with your existing Cambridge conveyancing practitioner but your bank will need to appoint a solicitor from their conveyancing panel. The net result is additional cost and probable frustration.
• Appoint a fresh solicitor to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the bank conveyancing panel.
• Convince your conveyancer to do everything within their powers to join the lender’s panel of solicitors

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that may impact a commercial premises in Cambridge?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Cambridge will conduct a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers expend in researching accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Cambridge. The search result provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Cambridge.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Cambridge it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can cause delays to Cambridge commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not carried out for domestic conveyancing in Cambridge.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Cambridge. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Cambridge

Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants.

I was recommended by a number of estate agents in Cambridge to get a quote from a conveyancer using your seach tool. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to market your site over alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to offer any commission for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

My brother has recommend that I instruct his conveyancers in Cambridge. Should I use them?

No doubt the best way to choose a conveyancing solicitor is to get guidance from friends or family who have actually experience in using the firm that you are considering.