AssumingI was to purchase a straightforward propertyin Ripon mortgage fee and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much would I expect to to save on my conveyancing in Ripon?

The only reduction in fees you would achieve is the disbursement for searches. Your conveyancing practitioner is required to do the vast majority of work - money laundering, liaising with the vendors solicitor, SDLT submission, register the property etc. You might save a bit for them not needing to register a mortgage but it will not be a lot.

I am expecting a DIP from HSBC this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do HSBC recommend any Ripon solicitors on the HSBC conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Ripon solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the HSBC conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and HSBC through the process.

The mortgage over my property is with RBS for my property in Ripon. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform RBS?

You must advise RBS before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of RBS’s mortgage conditions. It may be that RBS 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 RBS directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a RBS conveyancing panel lawyer.

I was told four weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Virgin Money. Is it usual for Virgin Money to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Ripon is approved on their conveyancing panel? Virgin Money have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their Professional Indemnity Insurance Schedule.

A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Virgin Money to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

Me and my brother own a 4 bedroom Victorian house in Ripon. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Aldermore. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. Is it worth asking Aldermore to clarify?

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Ripon and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the work.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Ripon benefiting from help to buy. The builders would not reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep told me not to tell my lawyer about the side-deal as it may adversely affect my loan with the lender. Is this normal?.

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.

Is it possible to transfer to a new solicitor as I have to appoint one who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing list. I was using a family conveyancing solicitor in Ripon five minutes from me but the firm is not accepted by Clydesdale

We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Ripon on the Clydesdale panel. Please note that the property lawyers that we work with do not pay us commission if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Ripon. In utilising the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this page, you can scrutinise costs for conveyancing solicitors in Ripon and throughout England and Wales.