Me and my husband are purchasing a leasehold flat in Ormskirk. My Conveyancer is not listed on the mortgage company conveyancing panel. Am I still permitted to appoint my Ormskirk conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the bank panel?

You will need to instruct a property lawyer to deal with the legal work required if you take out a loan to purchase your property. They will carry out all the essential investigations on the property, make sure that you will be properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the required mortgage documentation is dealt with. One may select a Ormskirk solicitor of your choosing. Nevertheless, if the conveyancing practitioner appointed is not a member of the mortgage company approved list additional charges will be levied as separate legal representation will be required by them. Bank panel applications may be submitted, so if your lawyer has not in the past applied for membership they should take the opportunity to apply.

I am assisting my niece sell her house in Ormskirk. Does the conveyancing solicitor order an EPC or it is for me to coordinate?

After the abolition of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was left as a mandatory part of selling a property. An energy performance certificate should be to hand before the property is marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that law firms normally arrange. Where you are using a Ormskirk conveyancing solicitor they may be willing to arrange energy performance certificates given their contacts with long established Ormskirk energy assessors

Can you point me to a directory of Lloyds panel conveyancers in Ormskirk on the Building Society Association’s Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such directory service on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. A small selection of lending institutions make their panel listings open the public on the web. If you are looking for a Ormskirk solicitor on the Lloyds please make the most of our tool.

I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in December 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Clydesdale are being a right pain. The Ormskirk solicitor who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Clydesdale are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Clydesdale have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Clydesdale have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Clydesdale may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

My friend suggested that if I am purchasing in Ormskirk 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 occasionally included in the estimate for your Ormskirk conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Ormskirk around the property and the people living there. It includes 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 House Prices, Crime statistics, Ormskirk Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Ormskirk.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing practitioner in Ormskirk for my purchase. Is it possible to check a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

Anyone can see presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations started on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For details Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes monitor telephone calls for training requirements.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Ormskirk conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Ormskirk conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Ormskirk conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be helpful:

If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not? What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

I purchased a split level flat in Ormskirk, conveyancing having been completed May 2007. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar flats in Ormskirk with over 90 years remaining are worth £175,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2083

With only 58 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £23,800 and £27,400 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 cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.