I am obtaining a mortgage offer from Santander. I intend to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in Fordingbridge. Does the Santander Conveyancing panel include Licensed Conveyancers?

The Santander conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, associated to the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

We see that you have a search directory identifying law firms on the conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a referral fee if I instruct them for our conveyancing in Fordingbridge?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Fordingbridge.

I have been told that property searches are a common reason for hinderance in Fordingbridge conveyancing transactions. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are not likely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in Fordingbridge.

I am buying a new build house in Fordingbridge with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about this extras as it will affect my mortgage 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 pointed in your direction by a couple of local estate agents in Fordingbridge to get a quote from a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial inducement for Estate Agents to promote your services rather than a competitor’s?

We don’t offer any commission for directing people 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 getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.