I am obtaining a mortgage offer from Nat West. My intention is to employ the services of a Licensed Conveyancer in Greenwich. Does the Nat West Conveyancing panel exclude Licensed Conveyancers?

The Nat West approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

Why do I have to pay up front for my conveyancing in Greenwich?

If you are buying a property in Greenwich your solicitor will request that you to provide them with funds to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. If any deposit is payable against the purchase price then this will be asked for shortly ahead of contracts are exchanged. The final balance that is due should be sent to your lawyer a couple of days ahead of the day of completion.

I am purchasing a new build house in Greenwich with a loan from . The developers would not budge the amount so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The sale representative told me not reveal to my solicitor about this deal as it would adversely affect my loan 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'm remortgaging my existing home to a buy to let mortgage with and I will use the ballance of the raised equity as a down payment on a second house. The neighborhood we are looking at is Greenwich. Will your solicitors be able to act for the two banks and link together the conveyances?

Make use of our comparison tool on this page to ensure that the conveyancers are on the appropriate lender panels. Assuming that they are the lawyer should be able to simultaneously deal with the two transactions but you should have a chat with you conveyancer and specify your expectations and requirements.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Greenwich. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Greenwich are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Greenwich so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Greenwich conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

I acquired a ground floor flat in Greenwich, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Greenwich with a long lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 50

You have 50 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £36,100 and £41,800 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.