We have very pushy vendors who has suggested a exclusivity agreement with a non-refundable deposit 6,000. Are such agreements sensible?

This type of arrangement isn't common in Shoeburyness, conveyancers are not keen on them as they divert attention from the primary focus, namely conveyancing and if you end up having your deposit forfeited then the solicitor at best left with an upset client and at worst a litigious one. Furthermore, there is no certainty that just because the vendor has signed a lock out contract they will sell to you. They may be in contravention of the agreement if they receive sufficient offer to do so because an aggrieved purchaser with the benefit of a exclusivity agreement will still have to establish consequential losses from the breach and this may not equalise the extra amount that the owner may secure by breaching the contract, no matter how morally reprehensible that may be.

We're in Shoeburyness, First time buyers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Clydesdale , and our lawyer is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no lawyer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

We are getting the release of further funds on our home loan from Nationwide as we want to conduct a loft conversion to our home in Shoeburyness. Are we obliged to appoint a nearby Shoeburyness solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel to handle the legals?

Nationwide don't usually instruct firms on their conveyancing panel to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nationwide panel.

I have a mortgage with Lloyds for my property in Shoeburyness. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Lloyds?

Your original mortgage agreement with Lloyds will provide that you need their approval prior to letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Lloyds’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Lloyds will permit you to let 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 Lloyds directly. You need not do this via a Lloyds conveyancing panel lawyer.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Shoeburyness conveyancer having checked that they are on the RBS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

RBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually RBS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Shoeburyness surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I'm buying a new build house in Shoeburyness benefiting from help to buy. The builders refused to budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The estate agent suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about the deal as it may put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.

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.

We are in the process of acquiring a property in Shoeburyness. Conveyancing is not over but we would like have our purchase price a secret from sites such as Rightmove. Is this achievable and how?

HMLR as a matter of law obliged to note price sold data on a register of the title for residential properties nationwide including properties in Shoeburyness. The register of ownership is a public document, so HMLR would be breaking the law if they failed to allow access to the register.

In essence you can ask HMLR to withhold the price paid data yet the answer will be a No.