I am progressing with the sale of my home in Newall Green and the EA has just e-mailed to say that the buyers are changing their property lawyer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the mortgage company will only work with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a big named lender only deal with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Newall Green ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, 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 acted for them for decades.

Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. No lender will say 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 purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

I require conveyancing for a flat in a fairly new development (6 years built) in Newall Green. Almost all the flats have already been occupied. Do I need carry out the neighbourhood searches for my conveyancing in Newall Green?

If you are purchasing a property with the assistance of a mortgage, your mortgage company will require some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Newall Green conveyancing searches are for you to decide upon. Your lawyer, will ’encourage’, perhaps in the strongest possible terms, that you should not go ahead without searches, but he or she is duty bound in this regard. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you insist that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or ask you to appoint a different lawyer for your conveyancing in Newall Green.

We are purchasing a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Newall Green who is on the Aldermore solicitor panel. Can you recommend a local conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Aldermore . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Newall Green.

Me and my brother purchased a semi-detached Edwardian house in Newall Green. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Barclays . I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same address. Is it worth asking Barclays to clarify?

You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Newall Green and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the position with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Newall Green what are the most common lease defects?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Newall Green. All leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the property

You could have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Nationwide Building Society, Bank of Scotland, and Godiva Mortgages Ltd all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to pull out.

I own a basement flat in Newall Green, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Newall Green with over 90 years remaining are worth £179,000. The ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 2083

You have 57 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £26,600 and £30,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.