I plan on purchasing property in South Yorkshire. My Solicitor has never been on on the bank solicitor panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my South Yorkshire conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the bank list of approved lawyers?

Your options include

• Proceed with your existing South Yorkshire conveyancer but your mortgage company will need to use a property lawyer on their conveyancing panel. This will result in additional cost and probable delay.
• Appoint a new conveyancing practitioner to conduct the conveyancing, making sure they are on the lender conveyancing panel.
• Convince your lawyer to do everything within their powers to join the bank’s conveyancing panel

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. South Yorkshire is the location of the property. Is there any advice you can impart?

Flying freeholds in South Yorkshire are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in South Yorkshire you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in South Yorkshire may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

I'm remortgaging my existing home to a BTL loan with Alliance & Leicester and intend to use the remaining equity as a deposit on another property. The area we are talking about is South Yorkshire. Will your lawyers be able to act for both sets of banks and link together the transactions?

Do use our comparison tool on this page to be sure that the conveyancers are approved by both banks. Having checked that they are the solicitor should be able to simultaneously deal with the two transactions but you should have a chat with you lawyer and communicate your desired outcome and requirements.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in South Yorkshire for my home move. Is it possible to see a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

Members of the public can see presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find information Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could recorded telephone calls for training purposes.

I am looking at a two apartments in South Yorkshire which have approximately 50 years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in South Yorkshire is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the salability of the property. For most buyers and mortgage companies, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with South Yorkshire conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in South Yorkshire, conveyancing formalities finalised April 2011. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in South Yorkshire with an extended lease are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2090

You have 65 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.