It has come to my attention via my mortgage broker that my Sparkhill solicitor is not on the bank Conveyancing panel. How can I check?

The first thing you need to do is to contact your Sparkhill conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Sparkhill conveyancing firm that is on the conveyancing panel for your lender.

We are soon to complete buying a house in Sparkhill but as a consequence of damage from a small fire at the property I have managed to agree recompense from the current proprietors in the sum of three thousand pounds in the form of a deduction in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but RBS will not agree to this. Should they have been notified?

Any property lawyer that is on a RBS conveyancing panel is required to disclose to RBS of any amendments to the sale price. If you prohibit your conveyancer to notify the reduction to RBS then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, RBS and you would have to appoint a new conveyancing practitioner for your conveyancing in Sparkhill.

Can you point me to a directory of Clydesdale panel solicitors in Sparkhill on the Building Society Association’s Website?

No. There is no such directory service on the CML or Building Society Association sites. Very few lending institutions make their panel listings open the public over the internet. Where you are in need of a Sparkhill solicitor on the Clydesdale please use our tool.

I currently have a mortgage with UBS for my property in Sparkhill. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform UBS?

UBS must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of UBS’s mortgage conditions. It may be that UBS will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact UBS directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a UBS conveyancing panel firm.

After what seems like an age I have had an offer on a flat in Sparkhill agreed to, but there is a chain. The vendors have put an offer on a flat, however it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other apartments in the pipeline. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Sparkhill. What do I do now? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Santander?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Sparkhill conveyancing search charges, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your property lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel. As to the next steps this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market the majority of home buyers would apply for a home loan with Santander and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their conveyancer to press on with searches.

Should our lawyer be asking questions about flooding during the conveyancing in Sparkhill.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors specialising in conveyancing in Sparkhill. Plenty of people will acquire a property in Sparkhill, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Lawyers are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a number of searches that can be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Sparkhill. The conventional set of information sent to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a standard question of the seller to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not disclosed by the seller, then a purchaser may commence a compensation claim as a result of such an misleading reply. A purchaser’s conveyancers will also order an enviro report. This should higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further investigations should be made.

I have just started marketing my 2 bed apartment in Sparkhill. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have just received a yearly service charge invoice – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is pay the service charge as you normally would because all ground rent and maintenance charges should be allotted on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I acquired a basement flat in Sparkhill, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Sparkhill with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 2102

With only 77 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £7,600 and £8,800 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.