I'm buying my first flat in Cookham with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not disclose to my solicitor about the deal as it will put at risk my loan with the bank. 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.

I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in Cookham ahead of instructing solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. Our surveyor has said that some banks will refuse to give a loan on this type of house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements for example to Nationwide. If you contact us we can check with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Cookham. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

How straightforward is it to use your search facility to select a conveyancing lawyer in Cookham on the panel for my lender?

Step one is to pick a mortgage company such as Santander, The Royal Bank of Scotland or Bank of Ireland then type in your preferred area for instance Cookham. Conveyancing organisations in Cookham and further afield will then be shown.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in Cookham for my remortgage. Can I see a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?

Anyone may find published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations commenced on or after Jan 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded telephone calls for training purposes.

I am employed by a reputable estate agency in Cookham where we see a number of flat sales jeopardised due to short leases. I have received inconsistent advice from local Cookham conveyancing firms. Please can you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

Cookham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

What is the name of the managing agents? It is important to be aware if a new roof is being put on or some other significant cost is pending to be shared between the tenants and will materially impact the level of the service costs or require a specific payment. This information is useful as a) areas can result in problems for the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where services are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the running of the building you will wish to know about it