I am buying a new build flat in Castle Donington. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Castle Donington you will have to appoint a solicitor on your lender's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Castle Donington.

We are purchasing a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Castle Donington. We would like to convert the garage to a playroom at the house.Will legal investigations on the property include investigations to ascertain if these alterations are prohibited?

Your property lawyer should check the registered title as conveyancing in Castle Donington can sometimes identify restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit certain changes or require the consent of a 3rd party. Many additions call for local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Certain locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. It would be wise to check these things with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.

is it true that all Castle Donington solicitor practices on the Barclays conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Barclays conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I have paid off my mortgage with RBS. I assume I don't need a Castle Donington lawyer on the RBS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your RBS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the RBS mortgage from the register. RBS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where RBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. RBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Castle Donington. Now, I need my documents but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Castle Donington of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed apartment in Castle Donington. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have just received a quarterly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is discharge the invoice as you normally would because all rents and maintenance payments will be allotted on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I bought a split level flat in Castle Donington, conveyancing was carried out in 2002. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable properties in Castle Donington with a long lease are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2091

With 65 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £13,300 and £15,400 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

I require the services of a lender panel solicitor in Castle Donington. Can you assist?

Unfortunately it’s not apparent why you need a Castle Donington panel solicitor but in any event, if you can not find one on our search tool you will need to speak directly to the bank to find out which solicitors in Castle Donington are on their panel . If you do find such a firm in Castle Donington not listed please direct them to our site to list. At a fee of one pound per month it is not expensive to register on the site