Is the fact that my conveyancer in Downham Market is not on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of his work?

It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Downham Market conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one close by in Downham Market I like with a park and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Downham Market in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage that many years will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.

As co-executor for the will of my father I am disposing of a residence in Cardiff but reside in Downham Market. My solicitor (based 235 kilometers awayrequires that I sign a stat dec ahead of the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Downham Market to attest and place their company stamp on the document?

strictly speaking you should not be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are based in Downham Market

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Downham Market. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Downham Market - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Downham Market - Examples of Queries before buying

How many years remain on the lease? Best to be warned whether redecorating or some other significant cost is due in the foreseeable future to be shared by the leaseholders and could well materially increase the the service costs or necessitate a specific payment. How much is the ground rent and service charge?

I have today had an offer accepted on an apartment in Downham Market and the estate agent that we are dealing with recommended his lawyer. He quoted £800 excluding VAT and 3rd party costs. Does this sound like a good deal?

You should not rely on one quote. One should obtain like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Downham Market. Then pick one that you are comfortable with and just as important, is on the approved list of the bank that you are sourcing your mortgage from.