The owners have rather brash vendors who has insisted on a lock out agreement with a payment two thousand pounds. Are such agreements generally advanced for East London conveyancing transactions?

Lock out agreements are contracts between a property seller and prospective acquirer giving the buyer the sole right to purchase the premises for a limited period of time. For all intents and purposes, a lock out agreement is a contract stating that you will receive a contract at a later date being the main conveyancing contract. It is generally utilised for buyer protection though in some cases, the owner may enjoy an upside from such agreements as well. There are various pros and cons to having them but you should to check with your lawyer but note that it may result in costing you extra in conveyancing charges. For this these contracts are unusual in relation to conveyancing in East London.

After reviewing moneysavingexpert.com for a recommended lawyer in East London, most advise that I must look for a CQS accredited lawyer. Can you explain what CQS is?

The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised quality mark for legal experts in home ownership transfers, trusted by some of the UK's major banks. Four years ago the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Legal Ombudsman. The scheme does not cover licenced conveyancers. East London is one of the numerous areas in England and Wales where there are CQS solicitors.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our home are lost. The solicitors who conducted the conveyancing in East London 4 years ago are no longer around. Will I be able to sell the house?

Nowadays there are duplicates made of almost everything, and your solicitor will be aware exactly where to locate all the appropriate documentation so you can buy or sell your property without a hitch. If duplicates can’t be found, your lawyer may be able to arrange cover in the form of insurance or indemnities against possible claims on the premises.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £235,500 and identified one close by in East London I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in East London for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be problematic. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

I am thinking of choosing a web based property lawyer rather than a East London conveyancing practice. Am I making a mistake?

Advantages do exist in having the opportunity to visit a local East London conveyancing solicitor for example

• signing documents on short notice
• often being able to see someone face-to-face can make a significant difference, particularly for more complex transactions
• the ability to raise concerns if things go pear-shaped

When checking estimates, look out for hidden extras. Most decent East London high street solicitors give an all-inclusive price. Many online companies appear to offer discounted fees, yet have hidden 'extras' in the small print.