I am progressing with the sale of my house in Walkden and the estate agent has just text me to advise that the buyers are switching law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the bank will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Walkden ?

UK lenders have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Lenders attribute this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices 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. The buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

We are planning to purchase with . I went into a couple of high street practices but am struggling to find a Walkden conveyancing firm on the panel. Can you help?

Feel free to make the most of the find a conveyancing panel solicitor tool on this web page. Please choose the building society and type Walkden or your location and you will see a number of lawyer offices in Walkden or near you.

My wife and I buying a terrace house in Walkden. We would like to carry out an extension to the side at the house.Will legal conveyancing on the property include enquiries to ascertain if these works are permitted?

Your solicitor will review the deeds as conveyancing in Walkden can sometimes reveal restrictions in the title documents which prohibit certain changes or require the permission of a 3rd party. Certain extensions call for local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

Can you point me to a directory of panel solicitors in Walkden on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?

No. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. Very few mortgage companies make their panel listings available over the internet. Where you are looking for a Walkden on the please make the most of our facility.

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with . Walkden conveyancing solicitors are instructed. How long does it take for to forward the offer to the ?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have done the valuation? Have you informed as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

Me and my brother purchased a 4 bedroom Georgian house in Walkden. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and . I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Walkden and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.

I am the registered owner of a 1 bedroom flat in Walkden, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1995. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar flats in Walkden with a long lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 50

With only 50 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.