What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Old Ford? Why is this being asked of me?

Old Ford conveyancing solicitors and indeed property lawyers accross the UK have an obligation under Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules to verify the ID of any client in order to satisfy themselves that clients are who they say they are.

Conveyancing clients will need to provide two forms of certified identification; proof of ID (typically a Passport or Driving Licence) and evidence of address (usually a Bank Statement less than 3 months old).

Confirmation of the origin of funds is also necessary in compliance with the money laundering statutes as solicitors are mandated to check that the funds you are using to buy a property (whether it be the deposit for exchange or the full purchase amount where you are a cash purchaser) has originated from a reputable source (such as an inheritance) and is not the product of illegitimate behaviour.

A colleague recommended that where I am purchasing in Old Ford I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard Old Ford conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Old Ford around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Old Ford Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Old Ford.

Me and my brother own a 4 bedroom Edwardian property in Old Ford. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and . I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. Is it worth asking to clarify?

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Old Ford and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.

I am purchasing my first flat in Old Ford with a loan from . The developers would not budge the price so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent suggested that I not reveal to my conveyancer about the deal as it may impact my mortgage 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 need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for sale conveyancing in Old Ford. I happened to discover a site which seems to have the ideal offering If it is possible to get all formalities done via web that would be preferable. Should I be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?