My nephew is purchasing a house that has just been built in Abbey Wood with a home loan from . His solicitor has said that there is a delay in receiving the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?

The document is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

I'm the single beneficiary of my late mum's will with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Abbey Wood. The Abbey Wood property was put into my name in . I want to move. I understand that there is a CML six month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship could be treated the same way as though I had purchased the house in . Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The CML handbook instructs solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be impacted by that. Some lenders would take a pragmatic view as this requirement is primarily there to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the flipping of properties.

When it comes to lenders such as , do Abbey Wood have to pay an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are not aware of any lender fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

We had appointed solicitors with offices in Abbey Wood on the solicitor panel. They have just billed me a further charge for dealing with the mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by ?

Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your can charge a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by but by your Abbey Wood . Some firms on the panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

Should I be suspicious that estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a local Abbey Wood conveyancing company?

As is the case with many service providers, often referrals from connections can be most helpful. Nevertheless there are many players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders might all suggest lawyers to instruct. On occasion these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but sometimes there behind the scenes financial incentive behind the recommendation. You are at liberty to appoint your own lawyer. However, bear in mind that some banks operate an approved list of law firms you have to use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.

I am looking for a conveyancing practitioner in Abbey Wood for my house move. Is there any facility to review a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?

Members of the public can review presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor call for training requirements.

Helen (my wife) and I may need to let out our Abbey Wood basement flat temporarily due to a new job. We instructed a Abbey Wood conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Your lease governs relations between the landlord and you the flat owner; in particular, it will say if subletting is banned, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Abbey Wood do not prevent strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the sublease.

I inherited a studio flat in Abbey Wood, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable properties in Abbey Wood with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 50

You have 50 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £36,100 and £41,800 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.