Are all North Finchley Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Santander conveyancing panel?

It is true that some banks and building societies now make use of CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to join their approved list of firms.

Can I be sure that the North Finchley conveyancing solicitor on the Skipton panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in North Finchley getting recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor handling your conveyancing.

I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in June 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Santander are being problematic. The North Finchley solicitor who is on the Santander conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Santander are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Santander have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Santander have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Santander may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Should our solicitor be making enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in North Finchley.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers conducting conveyancing in North Finchley. There are those who buy a property in North Finchley, fully aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a various searches that can be carried out by the buyer or by their lawyers which can give them a better appreciation of the risks in North Finchley. The conventional set of information sent to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual inquiry of the owner to determine if the property has historically flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer could commence a claim for damages stemming from an misleading reply. The purchaser’s lawyers should also commission an enviro report. This should reveal if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further investigations will need to be made.

I am buying a new build house in North Finchley benefiting from help to buy. The developers would not move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not reveal to my lawyer about the deal as it would impact my mortgage with the lender. 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.

I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in North Finchley prior to instructing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. Our surveyor advised that some lenders may refuse to give a loan on such a property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements from Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in North Finchley. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in North Finchley to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

I am contemplating choosing a web based conveyancer as opposed to a North Finchley conveyancing firm. Am I making a mistake?

There are advantages of being able to attend a local North Finchley conveyancing solicitor such as

• signing documents and and when necessary
• getting face-to-face explanations of issues that you need help with
• the ability to raise concerns if matters are not going as expected

When checking estimates, look carefully for hidden extras. Most decent North Finchley high street solicitors give an all-inclusive figure. Often online agents appear to offer low cost prices, but have hidden 'extras' in the fine print.