Our family lawyer has sent a quote for £1200 for fixed fee conveyancing in Hedon. I am selling a Victorian property for £125,000. Are these conveyancing fees excessive? Is it above the norm for conveyancing in Hedon?

The estimate does seem marginally overpriced. Where you are willing to expend time contrasting prices you might reduce the fees marginally by perhaps £100 plus VAT. That being said, you mightlive to regret opting for an an untested solicitor. If is important to check that the solicitor can also act for your lender. You can employ our comparison tool to choose a Hedon conveyancing practice on the lender’s conveyancing panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Hedon.

Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a online directory to list practices on the Melton Mowbray Building Society conveyancing panel for example in Hedon?

We would not expect to be advised of any intention on the part of the BSA to develop such a tool.

My relative recommended that if I am purchasing in Hedon I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is usually included in the estimate for your Hedon conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out important information about Hedon around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Hedon Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Hedon.

I'm buying my first flat in Hedon with a mortgage from Chelsea Building Society. The builders would not reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not disclose to my solicitor about the side-deal as it may jeopardize 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.

Do I need to be concerned that third parties that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a web based conveyancing firm rather than a local Hedon conveyancing firm?

As is the case with many professional services, often referrals from family and friends can be very helpful. Yet there are numerous parties with a vested interest in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies may put forward solicitors to use. Sometimes the conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there behind the scenes commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You have the right to choose your own conveyancer. Don't forget that most banks have an approved list of solicitors you must use for the mortgage related work in your home move.