My husband and I are getting closer to an exchange on a flat in Chalfont St Giles and my mum and dad have sent the ten percent deposit to my conveyancing practitioner. I am now informed that as the deposit has not arrived from me my solicitor needs to disclose this to my mortgage company. I am advised that, in also acting for the bank he must advise them that the balance of the purchase price is coming from anyone other than me. I informed the mortgage company about my parents' contribution when I applied for the mortgage, so is it really necessary for him to raise this?

Your property lawyer is obliged to check with the bank to ensure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own resources. The solicitor can only reveal this to your lender if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

What is the best way to find out if the solicitor handling my conveyancing in Chalfont St Giles is on the bank’sconveyancing panel? I am looking to avoid the situation of having one lawyer for me and one for Santander thus spending £187.00 plus VAT in another set of conveyancing fees.

Feel free to make the most of the search tool on this page. Please choose the lender and type ‘Chalfont St Giles’ or your location and you will see numerous conveyancers based in Chalfont St Giles or near you.

Is it correct that all Chalfont St Giles CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel?

Some major lenders now use CQS as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Chalfont St Giles off the council. I have a mortgage offer with RBS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have 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 RBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the RBS conveyancing panel.

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Chalfont St Giles. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £200. Shortly after, the lawyer contacted me to say that they were not on the Santander conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Santander panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my garden apartment in Chalfont St Giles. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, but I have recently received a yearly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the invoice as usual given that all rents and maintenance invoices should be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Chalfont St Giles Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

Please note if it is no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the salability of the property. It is worth checking with your lender that they are willing to lend given the lease term. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely need a lease extension at some point and it is worth discovering what this would cost. For most Chalfont St Gileslease extensions you will need to own the premises for 24 months in order to be entitled to extend the lease. Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders? Be sure to investigate if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example it is very common in Chalfont St Giles leases that pets are not permitted in certain buildings in Chalfont St Giles. If you like the propertyin Chalfont St Giles but your dog can’t move with you then you will be faced hard decision.

New build sellers have suggested I use a conveyancer and I've obtained an estimate from them. It's almost £400 cheaper than my local Chalfont St Giles solicitor. What's the catch?

Developers normally have lists of lawyers who are quick and who know the builder's documentation and conveyancer. As many developers offer an inducement to choose a preferred lawyer for this reason, any increased cost can be avoided and a builder will not put forward a conveyancing warehouse and run the risk of having the conveyancing stall when they demand an exchange within a tight time frame. A counter-argument for not opting for the recommended solicitor is that they may be reluctant to fight for your interests at the risk of upsetting the developer. Where you have concerns that this may be the situation you should stick with your local Chalfont St Giles conveyancing practitioner.