We are due to exchange buying a property in St James's but as a consequence of damage from the recent storms I have managed to agree reparation from the owner in the sum of £3k in the form of a adjustment in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of the conveyancing process yet Lloyds will not permit this. Why were they notified?

The solicitor being on the Lloyds approved list is duty bound to advise Lloyds of any amendments to the purchase price. If you prohibit your conveyancing practitioner to notify the price change to Lloyds then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Lloyds and you would have to appoint a new solicitor for your conveyancing in St James's.

I am assisting my step-mother sell her property in St James's. Does the solicitor arrange an EPC or do I organise this?

Following the abolition of Home Packs, EPC’s was maintained a required component of selling a house. An energy assessment needs to be commissioned prior to the property being put on the market. This is not a task that solicitors normally organise. Where you are using a St James's conveyancing solicitor they might be able to arrange EPC’s given their contacts with reputable local energy assessors

The mortgage over my property is with Lloyds for my property in St James's. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. If I am intending to rent out my property 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 in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Lloyds’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies 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. It should not be necessary to do this via a Lloyds conveyancing panel solicitor.

After what seems like an age I have had an offer on an apartment in St James's agreed to, the sellers do however have a tied purchase. The owners have offered on a property, however it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other apartments booked. I have instructed a nearby conveyancing solicitor in St James's. What should be my next step? When do I get the mortgage application with UBS started?

It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, St James's conveyancing search fees, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your conveyancing practitioner is on the UBS conveyancing panel. As to the next steps this very much depends on the specifics of your transaction, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. In a rising market some home buyers would apply for the mortgage with UBS and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their conveyancer to press on with the conveyancing in St James's.

I have a terraced Edwardian house in St James's. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and HSBC Bank. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should review 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 St James's and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the position with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the work.

I'm purchasing a new build house in St James's with a loan from Nationwide Building Society. The sellers would not budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not reveal to my lawyer about this extras as it could adversely affect my mortgage with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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.

In surfing the world wide web for the term cheap conveyancing in St James's it brings up many property lawyerslocally. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable solicitor for my move?

The best way of finding a suitable conveyancer is via personal recommendation, so ask friends and relatives who have purchased a property in St James's or a reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in St James's differ, so it's sensible to secure at least three quotes from varying types of law firms. Be sure to secure confirmation that the costs are assured not to increase.