Me and my partner are buying a property in Clerkenwell. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a solicitor? On the day of competition we have to put our life savings into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our money?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I can not work out if my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Clerkenwell building society branch on numerous occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Clerkenwell conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called and was told they refuse to lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Your has to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 specifications for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

My offer on a detached house in Clerkenwell has been accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have put an offer on a property, but it’s not yet tied up, and have viewings of other flats booked. I have chosen a high street conveyancing solicitor in Clerkenwell. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with going?

It is understandable to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is in the region of £1k, then valuation, Clerkenwell conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to ensure that your is on the conveyancing panel. Regarding the subsequent stages this very much depends on the specifics of your case, desire for the property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market some home buyers will apply for a home loan with and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their to press on with searches.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Clerkenwell with a loan from . The developers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The sale representative suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about the side-deal as it will put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.

I am looking into buying my first house which is in Clerkenwell and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Clerkenwell. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Clerkenwell area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Clerkenwell. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found

Clerkenwell Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

Most Clerkenwell leasehold flats will have a service charge for maintenance of the building set on behalf of the landlord. Should you acquire the flat you will have to meet this contribution, usually periodically throughout the year. This may vary from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant figure, say around £50-£100 but you need to check as occasionally it could be surprisingly expensive. Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that will increase the service charges? Its a good idea to find out as much as possible about the company managing the building as they will either make living at the property much easier or a lot more difficult. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily issues like the upkeep of the communal areas. Enquire of other tenants whether they are happy with them. On a final note, be sure you discover the dates that the service charges are due to the relevant party and precisely what you get for your money.

What could I expect to pay for conveyancing in Clerkenwell?

Almost all Clerkenwell conveyancing firms will agree to a fixed fee. Where further work become due during the transaction your must disclose to you in writing of such supplemental fees for any work as soon as it becomes obvious. Some work on a no completion no cost principle, others will charge a fraction of the set charges, according to the point at which the conveyancing does not go ahead.

We would recommend that you seek various firms to provide you an estimate.