We have rather assertive sellers who has suggested a preliminary contract with a down payment 6,000. Is it wise to enter into such agreements?

This form of arrangement is not the norm in Cowley, conveyancers are often inclined to veer clients away from them as they detract from the primary focus, namely conveyancing and if you end up losing your deposit then the lawyer at best left with an upset client and at worst a litigious one. Secondly, there is no certainty that just because the vendor has executed a lock out contract they will complete the sale with you. They may be tempted to break the contract if they are offered a large enough offer to do so because an aggrieved party with the benefit of a exclusivitycontract will still have to establish consequential losses from the breach and this may not amount to the financial upside that your vendor may secure by breaking the contract, no matter how morally reprehensible it undoubtedly is.

It is 10 years ago since I bought my house in Cowley. Conveyancing solicitors have now been appointed on the sale but I can't locate my title deeds. Is this a problem?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be with your mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Cowley involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it is more problematic but is resolvable.

I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Cowley. My financial adviser suggested a conveyancer. I paid an on account payment of £150. Not long after, the conveyancer called me to say that they were not on the RBS conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the RBS panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in July 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Skipton are being problematic. The Cowley solicitor who is on the Skipton conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Skipton are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Skipton have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Skipton have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Skipton may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Cowley conveyancing practitioner having checked that they are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Clydesdale will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Clydesdale will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancing practitioner will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Cowley postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Clydesdale, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Cowley.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Cowley I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Cowley in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.

I am are seeking to find a trustworthy conveyancing lawyer in Cowley to help me sell my home. I I am fearful of by bill escalating out of control but with many Cowley conveyancing solicitors to pick from...who do I opt for?

An unbiased personal recommendation via a person who has instructed a conveyancing solicitor previously is no doubt a good thing. You are bound to know someone who has used a conveyancing lawyer previously. Do use our tool to compare Cowley conveyancing quotes