My wife and I are hoping to buy a home in Whitehaven and have instructed a Whitehaven conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our conveyancer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Whitehaven lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?

Where you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Whitehaven solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

How up to date is your search tool for Whitehaven conveyancing solicitors on the conveyancing panel? Do send you an updated list?

Whitehaven conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from directly.

A colleague advised me that in buying a property in Whitehaven there may be a number of restrictions prohibiting external alterations to a property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Whitehaven which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Whitehaven should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

My lawyer has informed me that lack of planning permission insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Whitehaven?

The appropriate level of lack of planning permission indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between and . Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.

Having digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Whitehaven solicitor - who is on the conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Whitehaven postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with , you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Whitehaven.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Whitehaven. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Whitehaven

Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose?

I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in Whitehaven for my house move. Is it possible to see a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?

Anyone may find presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations started on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could monitor call for training reasons.