My financial adviser has asked me for my Knebworth solicitor’s panel reference for the Nat West conveyancing panel. What is the best way to obtain this. I have contacted my local Knebworth branch but they cant find it on their system.

Have you tried speaking to your Knebworth property lawyer about this?. Most Knebworth conveyancing practices will keep a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each bank.

Our nephew is in the process of securing a newly built flat in Knebworth with a mortgage from Bank of Ireland. His lawyer has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when requested. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

We are purchasing a apartment in Knebworth. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a lawyer? On completion day we have to deposit money into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our money?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I happen to be the single beneficiary of my late mum's estate and I have everything in my name now, including the my former home in Knebworth. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in December. I now wish to sell up. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', meaning my property ownership could be treated the same way as if I'd bought the house in December. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you might be affected by that. Most mortgage companies would take a pragmatic view as this clause is primarily there to capture subsales or the wholesaling and assigning of properties.

I currently have a mortgage with UBS for my property in Knebworth. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. If I am intending 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 UBS?

UBS must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of UBS’s mortgage conditions. It may be that UBS 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 UBS directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a UBS conveyancing panel lawyer.

I require quick conveyancing in Knebworth as I am faced with pressure to exchange contracts inside 3 weeks. A home loan is not required. Is it possible to decline from having conveyancing searches to save money and time?

If.Given you are not taking a home loan you are at liberty not to have searches carried out although no lawyer would suggest that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Knebworth the following are instances of what can appear and adversely impact future saleability: Enforcement Notices, Outstanding Fees, Outstanding Grants, Road Schemes,...

We are midway through buying a property in Knebworth. Conveyancing solicitor has told us the title is "Leasehold". Should this make a difference on the salability of the house?

Knebworth conveyancing does not usually involve leasehold houses. The crucial consideration here is the length of lease and the ground rent. If it's 999 years with a nominal rent, it's almost the same as freehold, so it’s unlikely to impact the marketability significantly.

At the other end of the spectrum, if it's, say, Sixty years it will have a material impact on the saleability, and most likely wouldn't be acceptable to the bank. The remaining lease term and ground rent will be specified in the lease provided to your property lawyer.