We are purchasing a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Crofton Park who is on the Nationwide solicitor panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Nationwide . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Crofton Park.

My wife and I have arranged the release of further monies on our mortgage from Coventry BS as we intend to conduct renovations to our home in Crofton Park. Are we obliged to select a local Crofton Park solicitor on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?

Coventry BS don't usually appoint firms on their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with RBS. I assume I don't need a Crofton Park property lawyer on the RBS panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your RBS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the RBS mortgage from the register. RBS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where RBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. RBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so

The mortgage over my property is with Virgin Money for my property in Crofton Park. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Virgin Money?

Virgin Money must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Virgin Money’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Virgin Money directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Virgin Money conveyancing panel solicitor.

Various internet forums that I have frequented warn that are the number one cause of obstruction in Crofton Park house deals. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the common causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Crofton Park.

I am purchasing a new build house in Crofton Park with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to budge the price so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The estate agent suggested that I not to tell my conveyancer about this side-deal as it will affect my mortgage with Virgin Money. 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.

Why can I not complete our conveyancing in Crofton Park on Easter Monday?

This is due to the fact that on completion the sale price will be transferred electronically between the banks of the buyer and owner’s conveyancing practitioner and currently this can only take place on a business day. So you can't complete on a saturday or sunday either.