Me and my wife are acquiring an apartment in The Borough. My property lawyer has never been on on the lender conveyancing panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my The Borough conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the mortgage company panel?

You have a couple of choices available to you here

• Complete the deal with your preferred The Borough but your bank will need to instruct a from their approved panel. The net result is additional cost and potential frustration.
• Appoint a fresh to conduct the conveyancing, ensuring that they are on the bank conveyancing panel.
• Convince your lawyer to pull out all the stops to get listed on the bank’s conveyancing panel

All was ready to complete my purchase in The Borough next Tuesday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the mortgage company. What does the insurance need to cover?

Any lawyer on acting for mortgage companies would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 instructions. These requirements are not limited to conveyancing in The Borough.

I got the keys to my home on 4 February and my personal details is yet to be on the land registry website. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in The Borough advises it will be registered in less than a month. Are transfers in The Borough uniquely lengthy to register?

There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in The Borough registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can vary depending on who lodges the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry must send notices to any 3rd persons or bodies. Currently approximately three quarters of such applications are fully dealt with in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be longer hold-ups. Registration takes place after the new owner has moved in to the property thus an expedited registration is not usually an essential issue yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor should speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one near me in The Borough I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 51 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in The Borough in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

Should you need a home loan that many years will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

Given that I will soon part with over three hundred thousand on a house in The Borough I wish to talk to a conveyancer regarding thehome move prior to giving the go ahead to the firm. Can this be arranged?

We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the conveyancer due to be carrying out your property ownership legalities in The Borough.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important person, not a file reference. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are provided with for your conveyancing in The Borough should be the figure that you end up paying.