I am assisting my step-mother sell her house in Freshwater. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission an energy assessment or should I organise this?

After the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy assessments was left as a required component of selling a house. An energy assessment must be commissioned before the property is advertised. It is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers normally organise. If you are instructing a Freshwater conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with reputable local assessors

I can not work out if my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Freshwater building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Freshwater conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they refuse to lend based on their specific requirements. Who do I believe?

The lawyer must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two provisions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in February 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Santander are being difficult. The Freshwater solicitor who is on the Santander conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Santander are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Santander have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Santander have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Santander 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.

I am buying my first flat in Freshwater with a loan from Barnsley Building Society. The sellers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative advised me not inform my lawyer about the extras as it would adversely affect my mortgage with the lender. 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.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Freshwater is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can give?

Flying freeholds in Freshwater are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Freshwater you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Freshwater may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

I am using a search engine for the words on line conveyancing in Freshwater it brings up many conveyancerslocally. How do I determine which is the right solicitor for the sale of my house?

The preferential method of choosing the right conveyancer is via personal referral, so ask colleagues and those you trust who have acquired a property in Freshwater or the respected estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Freshwater vary, so it's advisable to secure a minimum of three fee calculations from varying types of law firms. Make sure that you know that the fees are fixed.

I'm selling a flat in Freshwater. I have found my conveyancer's company on the Law Society's list, but I can't see my conveyancer's name as listed on the regulator's website. Is this a big problem?

Not all staff in the law firm must be listed by the regulator. Provided there is someone qualified to 'oversee' the work, the actual day-to-day activity can be conducted by unlicensed staff.