It has come to my attention via my IFA that my Brandon solicitor is not on the lender Conveyancing panel. What can I do to be sure that this is correct?

The sensible course of action for you to take is to call your Brandon lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to notify you of the situation. Where they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a Brandon conveyancing firm that is on the conveyancing panel for your bank.

The owners of the house we are hoping to buy are using a conveyancing firm in Brandon who has recommended a preliminary agreement with a down payment of 5k. Are such contracts recommended for Brandon conveyancing transactions?

Lock out contracts are agreements between a home seller and prospective acquirer giving the buyer the sole right to the sale of the premises within an agreed time frame. Essentially, an exclusivity is a document stating that you will receive a contract at a later time which is the contract for the actual sale. It is generally used for buyer protection though in some cases, the vendor may enjoy an upside from such agreements as well. There are numerous pros and cons to using them but you should to check with your conveyancer but beware that it may result in costing you more in conveyancing charges. For these reasons these contracts are unusual when it comes to conveyancing in Brandon.

I note that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to take this when purchasing a property in Brandon? or I am told that there is historic law that means some house owners living in a parish church boundary will be compelled to contribute towards maintenance towards the chancel within the church. Is this relevant for conveyancing in Brandon?

Unless a previous purchase of the house completed after 12 October 2013 you may expect lawyers conducting conveyancing in Brandon to continue to suggest a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

I have been recommended by numerous selling agents in Brandon to select a conveyancer on your site. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over and above alternative conveyancing organisations?

We don’t make any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

Two months into buying a house in Brandon. Conveyancing lawyer has told us the property is "Leasehold". Will this likely adversely affect our mortgage valuation?

Brandon conveyancing does not normally involve leasehold houses. The main consideration here is the remaining lease term and the ground rent. If there are over a hundred years remaining with a nominal rent, it's almost the same as freehold, so it’s unlikely to affect the value too much.

At the other extreme, if it's, say, fifty five years it will have a adverse effect on the saleability, and most likely wouldn't be acceptable to the mortgage company. The remaining lease term and ground rent will be stated in the lease provided to your lawyer.