The owners have very pushy sellers who has insisted on a exclusivity agreement with a payment 10k. Are such agreements sensible?

There are two primary downsides with signing a lock out agreement (sometimes known as an exclusivity agreement) is that it can distract from progressing with the conveyancing process, so in the absence of it needing minimal or no negotiation then it may turn out to be unhelpful. It is not strongly advocated by Leigh conveyancing solicitors as a result. The other main negative is the extent of the remedies available - a jilted buyer is not likely to be issued with injunctive relief to bar the owner disposing of the property to a third party, so the only remedy open via the contract will be the recovery of wasted charges and, in restricted scenarios, the additional payment of penalties.

My partner and I are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our house in Leigh and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. A local lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers used a web based conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Leigh. We have lived in Leigh for 5 years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to get confirmation that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

Me and my brother purchased a renovated Victorian house in Leigh. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and HSBC Bank. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Leigh and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.

I am buying my first flat in Leigh with a loan from Lloyds TSB Bank. The sellers refused to move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not to tell my solicitor about this deal as it would jeopardize my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

How do I use the search tool to select a conveyancing practitioner in Leigh on the panel for my lender?

1st select a mortgage company such as Santander, The Royal Bank of Scotland or Clydesdale then type in your preferred area a common one being Leigh. Conveyancing firms in Leigh and beyond should be listed.