We just had an offer accepted to buy with Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. I called into 3 or 4 local solicitors but am unable to find a Blandford Forum conveyancing firm on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society approved list. Could you assist?

Feel free to take advantage of the search tool on this web page. Please choose the lender and type Blandford Forum or your preferred area and you will be presented with a number of lawyer based in Blandford Forum or by proximity to you.

I have been told by my solicitor that chancel insurance is required on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Blandford Forum conveyancing?

The right level of chancel indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between Lloyds TSB Bank and Bank of Scotland. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.

I am expecting a AIP from RBS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any Blandford Forum solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Blandford Forum solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Blandford Forum. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?

Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.

A colleague recommended that if I am buying in Blandford Forum I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Blandford Forum conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Blandford Forum around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Blandford Forum.

I was advised by a number of selling agents in Blandford Forum to select a property lawyer using your seach tool. Is there a financial upside for Estate Agents to recommend your site ahead of another?

We refuse to make any referral fee for sending work our way. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I am a negotiator for a long established estate agency in Blandford Forum where we have experienced a few flat sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Blandford Forum conveyancing firms. Please can you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

Blandford Forum Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this arrangement the tenants have control and even though a managing agent is usually employed where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. In the main the cost for major works are not included within maintenance charges, although a few managing agents in Blandford Forum ask leasehold owners to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger works. Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that will likely increase the maintenance charges?