My partner and I are purchasing a newly built flat in Fairwater and my solicitor is telling me that she has to the lender to reveal incentives from the developer. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to sign contracts and I don't want to prolong deal. Is my lawyer right?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

I am aiming to move home in November. Does my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you recommend a removal company in Fairwater. Conveyancing lawyer was chosen before I stumbled across your page.

On the afternoon of completion you will need to collect the keys from your property agent but this can only be done after the vendors conveyancers inform the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be collected. After that you should advise the removal men that you are ready to move in. We are not in a position to suggest a specific removal organisation but can assist you in finding a residential property solicitor in Fairwater or a legal practice with expertise in conveyancing in Fairwater.

I'm the single beneficiary of my late father’s will and I have everything in my name alone, including the house in Fairwater. The Fairwater property was put into my name in July. I plan to dispose of the house. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', meaning my property ownership will be treated the same way as if I'd bought the property in July. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook instructs solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you may be caught by that. How practical a view lenders take of it, depend on the mortgage company as this provision chiefly exists to capture subsales or the wholesaling and assigning of properties.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Fairwater. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their conveyancing practitioner. I paid an advanced payment of £200. Not long after, the solicitor contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the HSBC 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 HSBC 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'm buying a new build house in Fairwater with the aid of help to buy. The developers would not budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The property agent told me not reveal to my conveyancer about the deal as it would impact my loan with the lender. 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.

Taking into account that I will soon part with £400,000 on a terraced house in Fairwater I wish to have a conversation with the solicitor about mytransaction in advance of instructing the firm. Can this be arranged?

Absolutely - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the solicitor who will be carrying out your property ownership legalities in Fairwater.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a case number. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are provided with for your conveyancing in Fairwater should be the amount on the final invoice that you are charged.

We are 17 days into a leasehold purchase having been referred to a firm by the high street agent to carry out the conveyancing in Fairwater. I am not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new solicitors?

A lawyer would have to be really poor to suggest replacing them. Has your mortgage offer been generated? If so you must inform them of the new contact details and ensure the loan are issued to the new lawyers. Your conveyancer should be on the banks approved list to avoid supplemental charges and delays. So that should be your first question of the new lawyers. Our search tool will help you find a bank approved lawyer for your conveyancing in Fairwater