My wife and I are buying a 1 bedroom apartment in Sandy with a mortgage. We like our Sandy conveyancer, but the mortgage company says he's not on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to appoint one of the lender panel firms or keep our Sandy lawyer and pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’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. A further alternative is for your Sandy conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

How does conveyancing in Sandy differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Sandy approach us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is finished. This is because house builders in Sandy usually acquire the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Sandy or who has acted in the same development.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one round the corner in Sandy I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it only has 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Sandy in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

If you require a home loan that many years may be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign 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 solicitor concerning this.

Taking into account that I am about to spend 450k on a property in Sandy I wish to talk to a lawyer about myhouse move prior to instructing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the solicitor due to be conducting your property ownership legalities in Sandy.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a case reference. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in Sandy should be the figure that you end up paying.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Sandy. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Sandy ?

The majority of houses in Sandy are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Sandy so you should seriously consider looking for a Sandy conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Sandy - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Make sure you enquire if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For instance plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Sandy. If you love the propertyin Sandy however your cat is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be presented with a difficult decision. This information is important as a) areas can result in problems for the block as the common areas may start to deteriorate if repairs remain unpaid b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to have all the details