What is the first thing I need to know concerning purchase conveyancing in Billingham?

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Billingham or throughout County Durham is an adversarial process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there is lots of opportunity for friction between you and others involved in the transaction. For example, the vendor, selling agent and on occasion the bank. Selecting a solicitor for your conveyancing in Billingham should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the process whose interest is to look after your best interests and to protect you.

There is a worrying increase in the "blame" culture- someone has to be blamed for the process taking so long. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your conveyancer above the other players in the home moving process.

The Billingham conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Billingham have without warning closed. I only went with them because I had to have a solicitor on the HSBC conveyancing panel and my previous Billingham lawyer was not. I sent them a cheque for two hundred pounds in advance. What do I do now?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then let them know immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the HSBC conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to assist.

I have been told that property searches are the number one cause of obstruction in Billingham conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature within the top 10 causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Local searches are not likely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Billingham.

I am purchasing a new build house in Billingham with a mortgage from Aldermore. The sellers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not disclose to my solicitor about the extras as it would impact my mortgage with Aldermore. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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 need to find a conveyancing solicitor for freehold conveyancing in Billingham. I happened to chance upon a web site which seems to have the ideal offering If there is a chance to get all the legals completed via web that would be ideal. Should I be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?