If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Leagrave and Chalton what would it be?

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Leagrave and Chalton conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Leeds Building Society, do Leagrave and Chalton conveyancing practitioners face an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Barclays. Leagrave and Chalton conveyancing practitioners have been appointed. How long does it take for Barclays to forward the offer to the conveyancing practitioner?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Barclays completed the valuation? Have you informed Barclays as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Barclays conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

My relative recommended that if I am buying in Leagrave and Chalton I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is occasionally included in the estimate for your Leagrave and Chalton conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing important information about Leagrave and Chalton around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Leagrave and Chalton Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Leagrave and Chalton.

I am purchasing a new build house in Leagrave and Chalton benefiting from help to buy. The builders would not move on the price so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not to tell my conveyancer about the deal as it could impact my mortgage with The Mortgage Works. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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 decided to have a survey carried out on a house in Leagrave and Chalton in advance of instructing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor advised that some banks will refuse to give a mortgage on this type of house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can investigate further via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Leagrave and Chalton. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

My fiance and I have just found out that one of the directors of the solicitors acting on the purchase conveyancing in Leagrave and Chalton is is the brother of the vendor. Is this acceptable?

On the basis that no conflict arises this is allowable. Where you are requiring mortgage finance then the mortgage company may have a say as many mortgage companies have specific instructions concerning this. For example for Coventry Building Society as of 24/5/2023, the requirements read as follows :