I am purchasing a house and require a conveyancing solicitor in Halstead who is on the Nationwide Building Society approved. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Nationwide Building Society in certain locations such as Halstead. We dont recommend any particular firm.

I am helping my sister sell her property in Halstead. Will the conveyancer commission the energy assessment or it is for the owner to see to?

Following the demise of Home Packs, EPC’s was maintained a compulsory element of moving property. An energy performance certificate must be commissioned in advance of the property being marketed. It is not something that conveyancers ordinarily organise. If you are instructing a Halstead conveyancing practitioner they may be able to arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with reputable local assessors

I currently have a mortgage with Barclays for my property in Halstead. Conveyancing was finalised some time ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Barclays?

Your original mortgage agreement with Barclays will provide that you need their approval before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Barclays’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Barclays will allow you to rent 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 Barclays directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Barclays conveyancing panel lawyer.

I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in September 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Clydesdale are being pedantic. The Halstead solicitor who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Clydesdale are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Clydesdale have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Clydesdale have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Clydesdale 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 used Stirling Law a few years past for my conveyancing in Halstead. I now require my papers but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Halstead of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I am buying a new build house in Halstead with a mortgage from Platform Home Loans Ltd. The sellers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The house builders rep told me not disclose to my lawyer about the deal as it will 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.

How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my commercial premises in Halstead and how can your lawyers assist?

The particular law that you refer to gives security of tenure to commercial tenants, giving them the right to make a request to court for a renewal lease and continue in occupation at the end of the lease term. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are involved. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Halstead is one of the numerous locations in which the firms we work with are located