Why would one instruct a Northumberland conveyancing practice given that national conveyancers are easier on the wallet?

To take your time to find shop around for conveyancing costs in Northumberland and you should seek a reasonable quote but don’t be focused with scouring the internet for the cheapest Northumberland conveyancer. Identifying the right conveyancer can mark the difference between a smooth and a stressful home move. It is important that you ensure that you have expert guidance from a trusted conveyancer. Emails can't be as helpful as a telephone discussion and can never replicate a face to face consultation. The firms that we work with will find you a qualified and experienced conveyancing solicitor who can deal with your conveyancing from from the outset to completion, giving the sort of personalised service that you rarely receive from an internet conveyancer. He or She will inform you on headway and keep you informed. Should you need to call the office you will know who you need to speak to and we'll be sure you are kept fully informed.

A relative advised me that where I am buying in Northumberland I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is usually quoted for as part of the standard Northumberland conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Northumberland around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Northumberland Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Northumberland.

I used Stirling Law several years ago for my conveyancing in Northumberland. I now require my file but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Northumberland of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one close by in Northumberland I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Northumberland for this price, 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 an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

I'm remortgaging a bungalow in Northumberland. I have found my conveyancer's company on the Law Society's list, but I can't locate my lawyer's name on the list. Is this a big problem?

Not all staff in the practice must be listed by the regulator. As long there is someone qualified to 'oversee' the conveyancing, the actual day-to-day activity can be undertaken by unlicensed staff.