I am progressing with the sale of my house in Harlech and the estate agent has just called to say that the buyers are changing their property lawyer. The excuse is that the bank will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading lender only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Harlech ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.

Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (seven years old) in Harlech. 95% of the appartments are already sold. Do I need carry out the neighbourhood searches for my conveyancing in Harlech?

You would be opening yourself up to an unnecessary risk in refusing to carrying out Harlech conveyancing searches. Without searches you have no clarity over flooding, environmental etc which may mean you walk away due to potential problems down the line. If you are buying mortgage free there is no legal necessity to have them, but we would seriously advise in no uncertain terms that you have them. Where time pressures and driving down costs are top of your concerns you should consider with your solicitor about the possibility of search insurance

It has been five months since my purchase conveyancing in Harlech concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £215,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Harlech I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Harlech in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

If you require a home loan that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension 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 lawyer about this.

My husband and I are 18 days into a residential purchase having been recommend to a firm by the local agent to execute conveyancing in Harlech. I am not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new lawyers?

A solicitor would have to be very poor to suggest changing them. Has your mortgage offer been generated? In the event that it has you need to advise them of the new conveyancer and get the offer are issued to the new lawyers. Your solicitor ideally needs to be on the lenders approved list to avoid supplemental expenses and complications. That should be your first question of the new lawyers. Our find a solicitor tool can assist you in finding a bank approved conveyancer for your conveyancing in Harlech