The vendors of the property we are looking to purchase have appointed a conveyancing firm in Westminster who has insisted on a preliminary contract with a deposit of 5k. Are such arrangements appropriate for Westminster conveyancing transactions?

This form of preliminary agreement isn't frequently used in Westminster, conveyancers are not keen on them as they detract from focusing on the main conveyancing focus and if you end up losing your deposit then the lawyer is left exposed. Secondly, there is no guarantee that just because the proprietor has executed a lock out agreement they will complete the sale with you. They may be in contravention of the contract if they receive a big enough offer to do so because an aggrieved party with the benefit of a lockout agreement will still have to show losses as a consequence of the breach and this may not compare to the extra amount that your seller may gain by breaching the agreement, however morally condemnable the behaviour is.

I am planning to acquire a flat and require a conveyancing solicitor in Westminster who is on the conveyancing. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for in certain locations such as Westminster. We dont recommend any particular firm.

Do I need to take out insurance to address the risk of chancel repairs when buying a house in Westminster?

Unless a previous acquisition of the house completed post 12 October 2013 you may take it that lawyers conducting conveyancing in Westminster to remain encouraging a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

I bought my apartment on 13 February and my personal details is not yet on the land registry website. Need I be worried? My conveyancing solicitor in Westminster said it would be dealt with in a couple of weeks. Are titles in Westminster uniquely lengthy to register?

There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Westminster registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timescales can adjust according to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry have to notify any interested persons or bodies. As of today in the region of 80% of such applications are fully dealt with within 12 days but some can be subject to protracted hold-ups. Historically registration is effected after the buyer has moved in to the property therefore 'speed' is not always an essential issue yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

I'm buying a new build house in Westminster benefiting from help to buy. The developers refused to move on the price so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The house builders rep advised me not inform my conveyancer about the extras as it may jeopardize my mortgage with . Is this normal?.

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.