Me and my fiance are buying a 2 bedroom apartment in Keynsham with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Keynsham solicitor, however the lender says he's not on their "panel". It appears that we have little option but to select one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or retain our Keynsham lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. We feel that this is inequitable; are we not able to insist that the mortgage company use our Keynsham property lawyer ?

Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Keynsham conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

My wife and I purchasing a end of terrace house in Keynsham. Our aim is to carry out an extension to the side at the house.Will the conveyancing process involve investigations to see if these alterations are prohibited?

Your conveyancer should review the deeds as conveyancing in Keynsham can sometimes identify restrictions in the title documents which restrict categories of changes or necessitated the consent of another owner. Some extensions need local authority planning consent and approval under the building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be wise to check these issues with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.

My husband and I have arranged a further advance on our home loan from TSB as we wish to conduct renovations to our house in Keynsham. Are we obliged to select a high street Keynsham solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

TSB don't usually appoint a member of their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the TSB panel.

Nottingham have agreed my mortgage in principle, my bid on a apartment in Keynsham has been accepted, now what?

The property agent will want to know who your solicitors are (ensure that the property lawyers are on the bank’s approved list). Telephone Nottingham or the financial adviser and finalise any relevant forms. Nottingham will sellect a valuer who will get in touch with the selling agent or seller to book a slot for the valuation to take place. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes approximately a week to receive the mortgage offer. Nottingham will issue the offer to you and your conveyancers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Keynsham.

We are planning on selling our house in Keynsham and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Keynsham lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers instructed a web based conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Keynsham. We have lived in Keynsham for six years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You need to enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Keynsham I like with open areas and station nearby, however it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Keynsham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Keynsham with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Keynsham can be reduced if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Keynsham state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Where you dont have the approvals in place do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer before hand. If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing. If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy formality and delays many a Keynsham home move. If a new share is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

I acquired a 2 bed flat in Keynsham, conveyancing having been completed June 1997. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar flats in Keynsham with an extended lease are worth £260,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2100

With only 74 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.