I am 3 weeks into the sale of my house in Ferryside and the estate agent has just e-mailed to say that the purchasers are changing their solicitor. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only engage with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only engage with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Ferryside ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.

Lenders blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

My wife and I purchased a semi-detached Georgian property in Ferryside. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and . I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to assess 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Ferryside 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 question the position with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.

I am looking for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Ferryside I like with open areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Ferryside for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be an issue. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

I am a sole trader intending to take an assignment of a lease of a shop on the high street. Can you recommend conveyancers offering competitive fees for non-domestic conveyancing in Ferryside for under £1,200?

We are happy to recommend firms who have specialist knowledge of commercial conveyancing in Ferryside, including the disposal and purchase of businesses as well as simply property. Whether you are looking to buy or dispose of a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail unit or a complete business we can put you in touch with the right lawyer. Regarding the costs these will vary based on the structure and heads of terms of the deal. Let us have your contact information or phone so as to enable us to supply you with comprehensive commercial conveyancing calculation.

My husband and I are new on the property ladder - agreed a price, yet the estate agent has warned us that the owners will only go ahead if we use the agent's chosen solicitors as they want an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a local conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Ferryside

It is highly unlikely the owners are driving this. Should the owner desire ‘a quick sale', turning down a motivated purchaser is counter productive. Speak to the vendors direct and explain that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you are going to appoint your preferred Ferryside conveyancing firm - rather thanthe ones that will provide their negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or hit his conveyancing thresholds pre-set by HQ.