Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a searchable register to list law firms on the Darlington Building Society conveyancing panel for instance in Shotley Bridge?

We are not aware of any plans on the part of the BSA to develop such a register.

I have a 4 bedroom Georgian house in Shotley Bridge. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and The Royal Bank of Scotland. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching address. Is it worth asking The Royal Bank of Scotland 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Shotley Bridge and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the position with the conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.

How does conveyancing in Shotley Bridge differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Shotley Bridge come to us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because house builders in Shotley Bridge tend to purchase the real estate, 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 property lawyers 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Shotley Bridge or who has acted in the same development.

How do I identify a Shotley Bridge solicitor on the Halifax conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am prepared to travel upto 10kilometers to meet the conveyancer.

Feel free to make use of the tool on this page. Please pick a bank and your location and you will see a number of Shotley Bridge conveyancing lawyers locally. We have detailed some Shotley Bridge conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can ring them to see whether they are on the Halifax member panel

One month into purchasing a property in Shotley Bridge. Conveyancing solicitor has told us the title is "Leasehold". Does this impact our Santander valuation?

Shotley Bridge conveyancing does not usually involve leasehold houses. The main factor here is the remaining lease term and the ground rent. If it's 999 years with a peppercorn rent, it's essentially freehold, so it’s unlikely to impact the value too much.

At the other end of the spectrum, if it's, say, fifty five years it is bound to have a material effect on the value, and most likely wouldn't be acceptable to the mortgage company. The length of lease and ground rent will be specified in the lease provided to your conveyancer.