I'm buying a new build house in Manningtree with a mortgage from Bank of Ireland. The developers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not to tell my solicitor about this side-deal as it could jeopardize my loan with the lender. 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 have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Manningtree I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Manningtree for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Manningtree for my house move. Is it possible to review a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

You can read presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations commenced on or after Jan 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could recorded telephone calls for training reasons.

Last April I purchased a leasehold flat in Manningtree. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I purchased a split level flat in Manningtree, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1996. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Manningtree with a long lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2087

With 62 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £17,100 and £19,800 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

My wife and I have instructed a Manningtree conveyancing solicitor for our home move (novice purchasers) and have noticed in the terms and conditions that they are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Need I be worried or is that standard with conveyancer?

We can't see why they should be. Most solicitor don't lend money. You should check that they are governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who have strict stipulations in relation to amounts sitting in their bank.