I am in the process of selling my flat in Downe and the EA has just text me to say that the buyers are changing their law firm. The excuse is that the lender will only engage with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a leading mortgage company only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Downe ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 25 years.

Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

Do I need to take out insurance to cover chancel repairs when purchasing a property in Downe?

Unless a previous purchase of the house completed after 12 October 2013 you could expect lawyers conducting conveyancing in Downe to remain recommending a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one near me in Downe I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Downe suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be an issue. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

What makes your site different to alternative online quote calculators for conveyancing in Downe?

At this site get a fixed fee costs illustration from a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that has a full understanding of the nuances of your conveyancing in Downe. Unlike many estate agents and many comparison sites we do not have commission arrangements with solicitors. A large number of agents and online brokers 'recommend' solicitors who pay the highest kickback, not the best value conveyancing in Downe

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Downe with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Downe can be avoided if you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers’ solicitors.
If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Downe leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such changes. Where you dont have the consents in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance. You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 80 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale. A minority of Downe leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their solicitors.

We have reached the end of our tether in trying to purchase the freehold in Downe. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Downe conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Downe flat is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 50.57 years.