I am selling my apartment in Hampstead Garden Suburb and the estate agent has just text me to advise that the buyers are swapping law firm. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading lender only deal with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Hampstead Garden Suburb ?

Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to disclose 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 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 the Building Society Association intend to launch a searchable register to list law firms on the Earl Shilton BS conveyancing panel for example in Hampstead Garden Suburb?

Lexsure has not been advised of any intention on the part of the BSA to develop such a tool.

I am helping my mother sell her flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Does the conveyancer commission an energy assessment or do I organise this?

Following the demise of HIPs, EPC’s became a mandatory part of moving property. An energy assessment should be commissioned before the property is marketed. This is not something that law firms normally arrange. If you are using a Hampstead Garden Suburb conveyancing lawyer they might help arrange energy performance certificates due to their contacts with reputable Hampstead Garden Suburb providers

I am purchasing a 3 bedroom semi in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Our aim is to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will the conveyancing process involve enquiries to ascertain if these works are prohibited?

Your solicitor should check the deeds as conveyancing in Hampstead Garden Suburb can on occasion identify restrictions in the title documents which restrict categories of changes or necessitated the consent of another owner. Certain additions need local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

Planning on purchasing a maisonette in Hampstead Garden Suburb. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Hampstead Garden Suburb property lawyer is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one round the corner in Hampstead Garden Suburb I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in Hampstead Garden Suburb in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you need a home loan that many years will likely be an issue. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may 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 speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

Expecting to exchange soon on a garden flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Hampstead Garden Suburb should include some of the following:

Information as to the provision in the lease to to contribute towards maintenance costs - in respect of the block, and the wider rights a leaseholder enjoys You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance as far as the lease is concerned Whether your lease provides for a reserve fund? What remedies are open the freeholder should you breach a clause of your lease? The total extent of the premises. This will be the flat itself but may incorporate a loft or basement if relevant.

Having spent years of negotiations we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

Where there is a missing freeholder or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the premium.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Hampstead Garden Suburb flat is FFF, 37 and Garage 1, Queensborough Court North Circular Road in September 2012. The Tribunal determined that the premium for the lease extension should be £67,037 This case related to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 23.66 years.