Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Cotswolds is not listed on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s conveyancing?

That would most likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Cotswolds conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

I am buying a property mortgage free in Cotswolds. I have resided for the previous dozen years in Cotswolds. Conveyancing searches are expensive. As I have knowledge of the road and vicinity intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

If you not getting a mortgage, then almost all of the Cotswolds conveyancing searches are optional. Your conveyancer will 'advise', no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches completed, but she is duty bound to do this. Do consider; if you are likely to sell the house in the future, it may be of interest to your prospective purchaser what the searches disclose. On occasion premises with apparent issues can still reveal adverse search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Cotswolds should provide you some helpful guidance in this regard.

I used Wolstenholmes several years past for my conveyancing in Cotswolds. I now require my file but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Cotswolds of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I'm buying a new build house in Cotswolds benefiting from help to buy. The builders refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent told me not disclose to my conveyancer about the deal as it may impact 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.

I was recommended by a couple of local property agents in Cotswolds to get a quote from a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to promote your services over another?

We refuse to make any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We found it would be just too difficult a fee as a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.