My friend's uncle is a conveyancer. I hope that I will receive friends and family rates for conveyancing, However if that does not come through, what kind of figure would I typically be looking at for conveyancing in Plaistow?

Do compare pricing. Make use of our search tool on this site. You will notice that fees seem to be different but service levels do differ between conveyancers as is the case with most professions.

I am mortgaging my apartment in Plaistow, does my lawyer have to be on the Bank of Ireland Conveyancing panel?

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Bank of Ireland will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is greater potential for delays and confusion with two solicitors involved, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Virgin Money. Plaistow conveyancing lawyers were appointed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Virgin Money?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Virgin Money completed the valuation? Have you advised Virgin Money as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I currently have a mortgage with Nottingham for my property in Plaistow. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Nottingham?

You must advise Nottingham in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Nottingham’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Nottingham directly. You need not do this via a Nottingham conveyancing panel lawyer.

I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Plaistow. My financial adviser suggested a property lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £200. Not long after, the solicitor contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Barclays panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Plaistow with a loan from Halifax. The developers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The estate agent advised me not inform my conveyancer about the deal as it will jeopardize my loan with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Plaistow is where the house is located. Can you offer any advice?

Flying freeholds in Plaistow are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Plaistow you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Plaistow may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.