My friend's dad is a property lawyer. I expect that I will be offered friends and family rates for conveyancing, However if that does not come through, what kind of costs should I be paying for conveyancing in Bishops Cleeve?

It’s a good idea to look for 3 or more like-for-like conveyancing quotes. Make use of our comparison tool on this site. Whilst estimates seem to be different but service levels do differ between solicitors as is the case with the vast majority of professional services.

This question may be naive but I am wet behind the ears as a first time buyer of a garden flat in Bishops Cleeve. Do I collect the keys to the premises on the completion date from my conveyancer? If so, I will appoint a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Bishops Cleeve?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will electronically transfer the completion advance to the seller's solicitors, and once they have received this, you will be able to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens between 1 and 3pm.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Aldermore. I assume I don't need a Bishops Cleeve solicitor on the Aldermore panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Aldermore mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Aldermore mortgage from the register. Aldermore, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Aldermore has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Aldermore has instructed the Land Registry to do so

Barclays have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a house in Bishops Cleeve has been accepted, now what?

The property agent will need to know who your solicitors are (ensure that the lawyers are on the lender’s approved list). Call up Barclays or your financial adviser and complete any outstanding documentation. Barclays will instruct a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or seller to arrange an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes on average a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. Barclays will send the offer to you and your lawyers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Bishops Cleeve.

Me and my brother own a terraced Georgian house in Bishops Cleeve. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Nottingham Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Bishops Cleeve and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the position with your conveyancing lawyer who carried out the work.

I'm buying a new build house in Bishops Cleeve with a mortgage from Aldermore. The builders refused to reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The sale representative advised me not to tell my lawyer about the extras as it would impact my loan with Aldermore. Should I keep quiet?.

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.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Bishops Cleeve is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Bishops Cleeve are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Bishops Cleeve you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Bishops Cleeve may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.