I have just started taking steps with a view to changing my domestic mortgage to a Buy to Let Platform Home Loans Ltd mortgage. The bank has said that I must appoint a solicitor as part of the process. I spoke to my former Elmers End conveyancing solicitor who who did the conveyancing when I previously bought the house. The costs illustration issued of £450 plus VAT has shocked me as I am not require purchase conveyancing - it’s simply a bog-standard refinance.

The quote is slightly on the expensive side. If you are happy to invest time comparing prices you could shave off some of the expense by say £100 plus VAT. On the other hand, providing that you were satisfied with the legal work the firm provided you maycome to regret opting for an an untested conveyancer. If is important to check that the solicitor can also act for Platform Home Loans Ltd. You can employ our search tool to get a quote a Elmers End conveyancing firm on the Platform Home Loans Ltd conveyancing panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Elmers End.

There is lots of here about conveyancing in Elmers End but can you isolate your top tip for appointing the right conveyancer in Elmers End

It would be unwise to be swayed by the lowest Elmers End 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

We are getting a further advance on our home loan from Nationwide as we want to carry out improvements to our property in Elmers End. Do we need to appoint a nearby Elmers End solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

Nationwide would not normally appoint a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nationwide panel.

I have a mortgage with Bank of Ireland for my property in Elmers End. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Bank of Ireland?

You must advise Bank of Ireland prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Bank of Ireland’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Bank of Ireland directly. You need not do this via a Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel solicitor.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Elmers End benefiting from help to buy. The sellers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not reveal to my solicitor about the side-deal as it could put at risk my loan with Skipton Building Society. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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 am thinking of appointing a conveyancing practitioner in Elmers End for my house move. Is there any facility to review a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

You can review documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded call for training requirements.

What are my options where I am unhappy with the property lawyer who handled our conveyancing in Elmers End?

Occasionally the level of service you receive is not as you expect, and is is a fact of life that sometimes things do go wrong. Nevertheless there is recourse if you were not happy with your conveyancing in Elmers End. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a lawyer to their governing body. If things still aren’t sorted out you may consider getting in touch with the Legal Ombudsman.