My brother and I have lately acquired a property in Biggin Hill. We have noticed several issues with the house which we consider were overlooked in the conveyancing searches. Is there anything we can do? Can you clarify the type of searches that needed to have been conducted for conveyancing in Biggin Hill?

It is not clear from the question as to the nature of the problems and if they are unique to conveyancing in Biggin Hill. Conveyancing searches and investigations undertaken as part of the buying process are supposed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a seller completes a document referred to as a Seller’s Property Information Form. answers provided is misleading, you could possibly take legal action against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Biggin Hill.

We're in Biggin Hill, First time buyers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is , and our solicitor is on the conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with . Biggin Hill conveyancing lawyers were instructed. How long does it take for to send the offer to the ?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have done the survey? Have you advised as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Biggin Hill. My financial adviser suggested a . I paid an on account payment of £150. Not long after, the contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the 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 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.

have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a flat in Biggin Hill has been accepted, what happens next?

The property agent will need to know who your solicitors are (be sure the are on the bank’s panel). Contact or your broker and finalise any outstanding forms. will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or vendor to arrange a slot for the valuation to occur. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes approximately a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. will send the offer to you and your . The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Biggin Hill.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Biggin Hill with a loan from . The builders would not budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The house builders rep advised me not to tell my solicitor about the extras as it will put at risk my loan with . 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.

We're new on the property ladder - agreed a price, but the agent has warned us that the owners will only go ahead if we use their recommended lawyers as they need a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Biggin Hill

It is highly unlikely the owners are driving this. Should the seller require ‘a quick sale', turning down a serious purchaser is counter productive. Bypass the agents and go straight to the owners and explain that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances arranged © you are unencumbered (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to use your preferred Biggin Hill conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will provide the negotiator at the agency a referral fee or achieve conveyancing thresholds demanded by head office.