I am nearing exchange of contracts for my home in Norton and the estate agent has just e-mailed to say that the purchasers are swapping conveyancer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major lender only work with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Norton ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for many years.

Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to reveal 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. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are not going to have any impact on this.

IfI were to acquire a freehold propertyin Norton for cash and dispense with a survey and no conveyancing searches how much should I expect to to save on my conveyancing in Norton?

Any savings you would achieve would be isolated to the disbursement for searches. The is obliged to do the vast majority of work - money laundering, communicating with the vendors , SDLT return, register the property etc. You might save a bit for them not needing to register a mortgage however it will not be significant.

We see that you have a search directory identifying firms on the conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I appoint them for our conveyancing in Norton?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Norton.

I am assisting my sister sell her property in Norton. Does the solicitor commission an EPC or do I organise this?

Following the demise of Home Packs, energy assessments was kept a required part of moving house. An energy performance certificate needs to be commissioned in advance of the property being marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers ordinarily arrange. Where you are instructing a Norton conveyancing lawyer they might be willing to arrange EPC’s due to their relationships with reputable local providers

I am purchasing a property in Norton. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As your lender is your lawyer must check the conveyancing requirements contained in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for . The CML Handbook stipulates minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and are required to report to where a lease fails to meet these conditions. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to Norton.

Intending to buy a apartment in Norton. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Norton is on the conveyancing panel.

Norton Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Its a good idea to discover as much as possible about the company managing the building as they will either make living at the property much easier or problematic. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day issues like the cleanliness of the common parts. Enquire of other tenants what they think of their management. On a final note, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically how they are spending the funds. Who takes responsibility for maintaining and repairing the block? The majority of Norton leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the block levied on behalf of the landlord. If you acquire the property you will have to pay this charge, usually periodically throughout the year. This may be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a ground rent to be met yearly, this is usually not a significant sum, say about £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it can be many hundreds of pounds.