I do hope you can assist me. My Taplow solicitor is informing me me that he is legally obliged toorder Taplow conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the HSBCapproved lawyer panel. Is this really necessary?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Taplow conveyancing searches.

We're in Taplow, First timers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Bank of Ireland , and our solicitor is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland 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.

A friend informed me that in buying a property in Taplow there may be a number of restrictions as to what one can do in terms of external changes to a property. Is this right?

We are aware of anumerous of properties in Taplow which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Taplow should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as RBS, do Taplow lawyers have to pay a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any bank fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Taplow. I have a mortgage agreed with Yorkshire BS. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Yorkshire BS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel.

I am buying a new build house in Taplow with a mortgage from Birmingham Midshires. The developers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not reveal to my conveyancer about this side-deal as it may impact my mortgage with Birmingham Midshires. Should I keep quiet?.

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.

What tools are available to find a Taplow conveyancing solicitor on the mortgage company conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 10miles to meet the solicitor.

You can use the find a conveyancing panel search on this page. Please choose the lender and your location, in this case Taplow and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest Taplow. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the mortgage company solicitor panel.