My husband and I are hoping to purchase a property in Ellesmere and have instructed a Ellesmere conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Nottingham Building Society have this evening contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Ellesmere conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Ellesmere lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
When can the exchange of contracts take place for sale conveyancing in Ellesmere and do I need to attend the conveyancers office?
If you are in close proximity to our conveyancing solicitors in Ellesmere you are invited in to sign documents. That being said, the law practices we work with supply countrywide coverage for conveyancing and provide just as diligent and professional a job for you when communicating with you by post or email. The signing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. Signing on the dotted line simply enables the solicitor to exchange contracts when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where an extended "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Ellesmere)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.
I am about to put a bid on a leasehold property in Ellesmere. The property agents tell me that it is usual for flats in Ellesmere to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am expecting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland. Is this going to be acceptable if the lease has 69 years left.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 10/1/2026 the requirements read as follows :
What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Ellesmere
There are many registered licenced Conveyancers in Ellesmere and Solicitor practices in Ellesmere who can help with your conveyancing We would stress that both are supervised by regulatory bodies with both specialising in the legal aspects of the home buying process. The two can handle other property legal work such as remortgage conveyancing, lease extensions and transfer of equity conveyancing.
I am assisting my niece sell her property in Ellesmere. Will the solicitor order the energy assessment or it is for the seller to coordinate?
Following the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was retained a mandatory component of moving property. An EPC must be commissioned in advance of the property being marketed. It is not something that conveyancers ordinarily organise. If you are instructing a Ellesmere conveyancing practitioner they may be able to arrange energy performance certificates given their contacts with long established local assessors
I am due to move house in March. Should my conveyancing solicitor communicate with the removal company on the day of completion. On a separate note, can you suggest a removal company in Ellesmere. Conveyancing firm was organised prior to coming across your site.
On the day of completion you will need to pick up the keys from your selling agent however this can only be done when the sellers lawyers advise the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be passed over. After that you can tell the removal men that they can start moving you in. We are not in a position to suggest a specific removal organisation but can help you find a residential property solicitor in Ellesmere or a legal practice that specialises in conveyancing in Ellesmere.
I used Action Conveyancing several years ago for my conveyancing in Ellesmere. I now require my file however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
Do call 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 Ellesmere of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Last August I purchased a leasehold house in Ellesmere. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
I bought a ground floor flat in Ellesmere, conveyancing was carried out in 2012. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Ellesmere with an extended lease are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2092
With just 66 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £11,400 and £13,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.