Some advice if I may. My Bankside conveyancer is advising me that he has toorder Bankside conveyancing searches becausethe firm are on the Virgin Moneyapproved lawyer panel. Is my solicitor right?

You have limited options available to you. As you are obtaining a home 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 lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook conditions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Bankside conveyancing searches.

Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Bankside costs more?

Bankside leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.

I am buying my first flat in Bankside with a mortgage from Lloyds TSB Bank. The sellers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not to tell my lawyer about this deal as it may put at risk my mortgage with Lloyds TSB Bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and found one near me in Bankside I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Bankside suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

Should you need a home loan that many years will be an issue. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

I am 14 days into a freehold purchase having been referred to a firm by the local agent to execute conveyancing in Bankside. I am not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new solicitors?

They would have to be very poor in order to consider changing them. Has your loan offer been sent? In the event that it has you must make them aware of the new contact details and have the loan are re-issued. The conveyancer should be on the banks panel to avoid supplemental charges and delays. So that should be your first question of the new solicitors. The find a solicitor tool will assist you in finding a lender approved lawyer for your conveyancing in Bankside