My partner and I are intent on acquiring a maisonette in Almondsbury. My Solicitor has never been on on the mortgage company solicitor panel. Am I still permitted to use my Almondsbury conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the bank approved list?

One must have a property lawyer to complete the legal work required when you take out a loan to purchase your home. The conveyancer will carry out all the necessary due diligence on the property, make sure that you’re registered as proprietor and ensure that all the required mortgage paperwork is dealt with. You can select a Almondsbury conveyancer of your choosing. However, if the lawyer selected is not a member of the bank approved list supplemental costs will be incurred as separate legal representation will be need by the lender. Conveyancing panel applications may be submitted, so where your solicitor has not historically applied for membership they can do so.

I purchased a freehold premises in Almondsbury but still invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Almondsbury and has limited impact for conveyancing in Almondsbury but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.

My apartment in Almondsbury is up for sale and I have a buyer. Does the solicitor need to be on the Nationwide conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Nationwide conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their panel criteria fairly frequently currently.

I am purchasing a new build house in Almondsbury with the aid of help to buy. The developers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative told me not disclose to my conveyancer about this side-deal as it would impact my loan with Leeds Building Society. 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.

My husband and I are novice buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the selling agent told us that the seller will only proceed if we instruct the agent's recommended solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a high street solicitor who is familiar with conveyancing in Almondsbury

We suspect that the owner is unaware of this ultimatum. Should the seller require ‘a quick sale', alienating a serious purchaser is not the way to achieve this. Speak to the owners direct and explain that (a)you are serious buyers (b)you are ready to go, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you intend to appoint your own,trusted Almondsbury conveyancing firm - as opposed tothose that will give the negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or achieve conveyancing thresholds pre-set by senior management.