I am getting a mortgage with Nat West. I would like to retain the legal services of a Licensed Conveyancer in Wickford. Does the Nat West Solicitor panel exclude Licensed Conveyancers?

The Nat West conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, associated to the Council or Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

I am considering applying for a Clydesdale mortgage for purchase of a newly converted (under development) in Wickford with 65 per cent loan to value. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for Clydesdale ?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, but Clydesdale would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same conveyancing matter.

I just bought a house at auction in Wickford. Conveyancing is necessary. What is next?

Having exchanged you should choose a conveyancing lawyer soon as you now have a fast approaching a drop dead date to complete the property. An auction property will have a corresponding auction pack. This will likely include evidence of title and search results. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the legal papers may provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork specific to a leasehold property. You need to pass this on to the conveyancer working for you at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that that you have the requisite funding in order to complete on the date specified in the contract.

My wife and I have arranged the release of further funds on our mortgage from Clydesdale as we want to conduct improvements to our home in Wickford. Are we obliged to appoint a nearby Wickford solicitor on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel to handle the legals?

Clydesdale don't usually require a member of their approved list of lawyers 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 Clydesdale list.

Our sealed bid on a house in Wickford has been accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have placed an offer on a property, but it’s not yet tied up, and have viewings of other apartments in the pipeline. I have instructed a high street conveyancing solicitor in Wickford. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage application with RBS started?

It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then valuation, Wickford conveyancing search charges, etc). First, you should ensure that your lawyer is on the RBS approved list. As to the next phase this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your case, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. In a rising market some buyers will apply for a home loan with RBS and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their lawyer to press on with the conveyancing in Wickford.

I have a 4 bedroom Victorian property in Wickford. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Britannia. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should read 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Wickford and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also enquire as to the position with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.

I'm buying a new build house in Wickford benefiting from help to buy. The developers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not to tell my conveyancer about this deal as it would adversely affect my loan 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.