It may have been a long time coming a mortgage agreement from HSBC for the refinancing of my 4 room garden flat is coming by the end of next week. Could you recommend a cheap conveyancing solicitor in Ryton?

You are on the wrong site if you are in need of the cheapest conveyancing solicitors in Ryton. Our aim is to provide value for money conveyancing but we do not aim to work with the cheapest lawyers. Resist the temptation to appoint companies offering low cost conveyancing in Ryton. At best, in choosing a lawyer for low cost conveyancing, you will get your money’s worth and at worst it will result in you with a hefty uplift in additional fees and still not receive the service expected.

We had selected solicitors with offices in Ryton on the Clydesdale solicitor panel. They have just billed me a separate sum for the legal aspects of the Clydesdale mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Clydesdale?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your solicitor can levy a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Clydesdale but by your Ryton lawyer. Numerous firms on the Clydesdale panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Ryton. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I would like to complain about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

Principality have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a apartment in Ryton has been agreed to, now what?

The property agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure the lawyers are on the bank’s approved list). Telephone Principality or your financial adviser and finalise any relevant forms. Principality will appoint a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or owners to arrange a time for the valuation to occur. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes approximately a week to receive the mortgage offer. Principality will issue the offer to you and your solicitors. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Ryton.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our house are lost. The conveyancers who did the conveyancing in Ryton 4 years ago no longer exist. Will I be able to sell the house?

You no longer need to hold title official documentation to prove you are the registered proprietor of land or property, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

I am buying a new build house in Ryton with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about the side-deal as it could adversely affect my mortgage with Britannia. 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.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one near me in Ryton I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 61 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Ryton for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you require a home loan that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.