We were just about to exchange contracts for a freehold house in Brook Green. We have hit a stumbling block. The mortgage offer with expires on but the owners are putting forward a completion date of . Can one prolong the loan expiry date?

The best person to address this concern is your lawyer who will determine if they corresponding with the bank, vendor’s solicitors, property agents or possibly all parties based on the history of your house move to date.

We are buying a newbuild flat in Brook Green with a residential mortgage from .We would like to retain our Brook Green conveyancing practitioner but says his firm is not listed on their "panel". we are left little option but to use a panel firm or retain our high street solicitor and pay for a panel lawyer to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. The loan issued to you contains various provisions, a common one being that conveyancers must be on the approved list. Until recently, most banks had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for

There are plenty of conveyancing solicitors in Brook Green but how do I know who I should use?

It would be unwise to be seduced by the lowest Brook Green conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.

Can you point me to a directory of panel solicitors in Brook Green on the Building Society Association’s Website?

No. There is no such directory service on the CML or Building Society Association websites. A small selection of banks make their panel listings visible online. If you are looking for a Brook Green on the please use our tool.

We expect to receive a DIP from this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do recommend any Brook Green solicitors on the conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Brook Green solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and through the process.

My wife and I are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our home in Brook Green and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. A local lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers used a national conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Brook Green. Having lived in Brook Green for six years we know of no issue. Do we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

I am purchasing a new build house in Brook Green with the aid of help to buy. The builders refused to move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The estate agent advised me not disclose to my lawyer about this side-deal as it will jeopardize my loan with the bank. 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.