Me and my partner are buying a 2 bedroom flat in Ashton with a mortgage. We have a Ashton lawyer, but the bank says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel firms or continue with our Ashton conveyancer and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. We regard this is inequitable; can we not insist that the lender use our Ashton lawyer ?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Ashton conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
The owners have rather brash sellers who has recommended a exclusivity agreement with a deposit of 5k. Are such agreements sensible?
There are a couple of primary drawbacks with executing a lock out agreement (also known as a shut-out contract) is that it takes away the focus from making progress with the conveyancing transaction itself, so in the absence of it needing little or no negotiation then it may turn out to be a hindrance. It is not promoted by Ashton conveyancing practitioners as a result. A further issue is the extent of the remedies available - an aggrieved buyer should not expect to secure an injunctive ruling by a court to prevent the owner disposing of the property to another buyer, so the only remedy open via the agreement will be the reimbursement of abortive charges and, in restricted situations, the additional payment of damages.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Ashton. My lender is Tesco Bank
Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 30/9/2025, the requirements read as follows :
Is it the case that all Ashton solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the Aldermore approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the SRA. Many mortgage companies do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the organisation would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
We are getting the release of further monies on our home loan from Coventry BS as we want to conduct alterations to our home in Ashton. Are we obliged to select a high street Ashton solicitor on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel to handle the legals?
Coventry BS do not ordinarily appoint a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Coventry BS list.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a Ashton lawyer having checked that they are on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Barclays will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Barclays will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Ashton surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Ashton for my remortgage. Can I review a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
You can find published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could monitor call for training reasons.
I am looking at a two maisonettes in Ashton both have approximately fifty years unexpired on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?
There are plenty of short leases in Ashton. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. It is often difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field.
I purchased a basement flat in Ashton, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2009. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Ashton with over 90 years remaining are worth £179,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2082
With only 57 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £26,600 and £30,800 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 provide the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.