Me and my partner are about to complete buying a house in Stanstead Abbotts but as a result of wreckage from some water damage at the property I have managed to agree reparation from the seller in the sum of £3k in the form of a deduction in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of amending the contract yet HSBC are not allowing this. Why were they approached?

Any solicitor being on the HSBC approved list is obliged to inform HSBC of any variations to the sale price. If you were to refuse your solicitor to disclose the price change to HSBC then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, HSBC and you would have to appoint a new solicitor for your conveyancing in Stanstead Abbotts.

As I am unsure how the conveyancing bit works what is the most important piece of guidance you can give me about purchase conveyancing in Stanstead Abbotts?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Stanstead Abbotts and elsewhere in England and Wales is an adversarial experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of opportunity for friction between you and other parties involved in the home moving process. For instance, the vendor, selling agent and sometimes the lender. Choosing a law firm for your conveyancing in Stanstead Abbotts an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY person in the transaction whose interest is to look after your best interests and to protect you.

Every so often a third party with a vested interest will attempt to persuade you that you should follow their advice. For instance, the estate agent may claim to be helping by suggesting your conveyancer is dragging his heels. Or your financial adviser may tell you to do take action that is contrary to your conveyancers advice. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.

We're in Stanstead Abbotts, FTBs purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Co-operative , and our lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancing practitioner 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.

I decided to have a survey done on a property in Stanstead Abbotts before appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will not issue a mortgage on this type of premises.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you call us we can look into this further via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Stanstead Abbotts. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Stanstead Abbotts especially if they are familiar with such properties in Stanstead Abbotts.

In my capacity as executor for the estate of my grandmother I am disposing of a property in Swansea but reside in Stanstead Abbotts. My solicitor (approximately 235 kilometers awayhas requested that I execute a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Stanstead Abbotts who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you are not likely to be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Stanstead Abbotts based