Some advice if I may. My Abbey Wood lawyer is assuring me that he has toapply for Abbey Wood conveyancing searches resulting from the fact thatthe firm are on the Santandersolicitor panel. Is this really necessary?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Abbey Wood conveyancing searches.

It is is a decade since I bought my home in Abbey Wood. Conveyancing lawyers have just been instructed on the sale but I am unable to find my title deeds. Is this a problem?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who oversaw the purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Abbey Wood involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.

My wife and I buying a detached bungalow in Abbey Wood. The intention is to an extension at the rear at the property.Will legal conveyancing on the property include investigations to ascertain if these works are permitted?

Your conveyancer will check the deeds as conveyancing in Abbey Wood can on occasion reveal restrictions in the title documents which restrict categories of works or require the consent of another owner. Some extensions call for local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

My partner and I are spending time viewing flats in Abbey Wood and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it sensible to have my conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I am planning to take a home loan with Lloyds.

You should start requesting conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the selling agent. Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Lloyds, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.

I've read lots of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Abbey Wood solicitor - who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Lloyds will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Lloyds 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. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Abbey Wood postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Lloyds, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Abbey Wood.

Taking into account that I am about to part with over three hundred thousand on a two bedroom apartment in Abbey Wood I wish to talk to a conveyancer concerning theconveyancing before giving the go ahead to the firm. Can this be arranged?

We could not agree more - we would be pleased to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the lawyer who will be doing your property ownership legalities in Abbey Wood.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a matter number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are provided with for your conveyancing in Abbey Wood should be the figure that you end up paying.

I have just appointed agents to market my garden flat in Abbey Wood.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon however I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay the invoice as normal because all ground rent and maintenance payments should be allottedas part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process