Me and my husband are acquiring a leasehold flat in Countesthorpe. My Conveyancer has never been on on the lender conveyancing panel. Can I still appoint my Countesthorpe conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the bank list of approved lawyers?

You have numerous choices open to you here

• Complete the deal with your preferred Countesthorpe solicitor but your mortgage company will undoubtedly use a conveyancing practitioner from their approved panel. The net result is additional fees together with potential interruption.
• Choose a new property lawyer to conduct the conveyancing, ensuring that they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Convince your conveyancing practitioner to pull out all the stops to join the mortgage company conveyancing panel

I am buying a new build flat in Countesthorpe. Conveyancing is daunting 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 conveyancing.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Countesthorpe

Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided.

I am looking for a flat up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Countesthorpe I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Countesthorpe for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

Taking into account that I am about to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a two bedroom apartment in Countesthorpe I wish to have a conversation with the conveyancer concerning theconveyancing ahead of instructing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

We could not agree more - we would be happy to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the conveyancer who will be carrying out your conveyancing in Countesthorpe.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a matter number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in Countesthorpe should be the figure that you end up paying.

My husband and I are new to the buying process - had an offer accepted, yet the estate agent has warned us that the owners will only go ahead if we appoint their preferred lawyers as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Countesthorpe

It is highly unlikely the vendors are behind this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated buyer is counter productive. Speak to the vendors direct and make the point that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to go, with mortgage lined up © you are unencumbered (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you intend to appoint your own,trusted Countesthorpe conveyancing firm - as opposed tothe ones that will provide the negotiator at the agency a commission or achieve conveyancing figures demanded by senior management.