The owners of the property we are looking to purchase have instructed a conveyancing firm in Sheffield who has suggested a exclusivity contract with a deposit two thousand pounds. Is it wise to enter into such agreements?

Lock out agreements are agreements between a home seller and prospective buyer granting the buyer a ‘clear field’ to purchase the premises within a prescribed time frame. For all intents and purposes, an exclusivity is a document stating that you will have a contract at a later time being the contract for the actual sale. It tends to be used for buyer assurance though in some cases, the vendor may stand to benefit from such agreements as well. There are many pros and cons to having them but you should to check with your solicitor but beware that it may end up costing you extra in conveyancing fees. In light of this these agreements are rare in relation to conveyancing in Sheffield.

My uncle passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Sheffield. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Skipton, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?

Where you intend to refinance then Skipton will require that you use a conveyancer on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Skipton conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Skipton mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Sheffield. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Kent Reliance be concerned?

Given that your lender is Kent Reliance your lawyer must follow the formal instructions contained in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Kent Reliance. The CML Handbook contains minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Kent Reliance where a lease does not comply with these requirements. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Sheffield.

I can not work out if my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Sheffield building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not affect the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Sheffield conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they refuse to lend in accordance with their published requirements. Who do I believe?

Provided that the conveyancer is on the mortgage company panel, she or he must comply with the CML Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

Planning on purchasing a maisonette in Sheffield. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Sheffield conveyancer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

I am buying my first flat in Sheffield benefiting from help to buy. The developers refused to move on the price so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not inform my conveyancer about this extras as it could affect my loan with the bank. 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 flat up to £305k and identified one close by in Sheffield I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Sheffield for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be problematic. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 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 term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.