we are a couple who are buying a newly converted apartment in Trentham with a mortgage from .We like our Trentham conveyancing practitioner but advised that she’s not listed on their "panel". It seems we are left with little choice but to instruct a panel firm or keep our local solicitor and fork out for a panel lawyer to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The home loan issued to you is subject to its terms and conditions, a common one being that conveyancers needs to be on the approved list. in the past, most banks had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for

We are buying a flat in Trentham. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a conveyancer? On completion day we will need to send funds into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I am the single recipient of my late grandmother’s will with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Trentham. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in . I want to move. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship could be considered the same way as if I'd bought the property in . Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?

The CML handbook obliges solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you may be affected by that. Most banks would take a sensible view as this obligation is chiefly there to capture the purchase and immediately sell or the quick reselling of property.

I've read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Trentham 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Trentham surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £305k and identified one round the corner in Trentham I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Trentham in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Trentham for my home move. Is there any facility to see a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?

Members of the public may see documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor call for training requirements.

I want to rent out my leasehold apartment in Trentham. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

The lease governs the relationship between the landlord and you the flat owner; specifically, it will say if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Trentham do not prevent subletting altogether – such a provision would adversely affect the market value the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

Trentham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries before buying

What is the the remaining lease term? Does the lease have onerous restrictions? The prefered form of lease structure is where the freehold reversion is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this situation the leaseholders enjoy being in charge if their destiny and notwithstanding that a managing agent is frequently employed if the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves.