My partner and I are nearing an exchange on a house in Egham and my parents have transferred the ten percent deposit to my lawyer. I am now informed that as the deposit has been received from someone other than me my lawyer needs to disclose this to my mortgage company. Apparently, in also acting for the lender he must inform them that the balance of the purchase price is coming from anyone other than me. I disclosed to the bank regarding my parents' contribution when I applied for the home loan, so is it really necessary for him to raise this?

Your property lawyer is obliged to clarify with the bank to make sure that they know that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own resources. The solicitor can only disclose this to your bank if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

We were going to get a OIP from Nationwide this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Nationwide recommend any Egham solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Egham solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Nationwide through the process.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with TSB. I assume I don't need a Egham solicitor on the TSB panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your TSB 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 TSB mortgage from the register. TSB, 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 TSB has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. TSB has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Egham off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Co-operative. Conveyancing is new to me. 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 Co-operative, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.

I'm refinancing my existing property to a BTL loan with Leeds Building Society and intend to use the remaining equity towards another house. The location we are interested in is Egham. Will your lawyers be able to act for both sets of banks and tie in the two deals?

Make use of our comparison tool on this page to be sure that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panels. On the basis that they are your solicitor will be able to connect the two transactions but you should talk with you conveyancer and communicate your expectations and requirements.

In my capacity as executor for the estate of my uncle I am selling a house in Newport but I am based in Egham. My conveyancer (who is 260 miles from mehas requested that I execute a statutory declaration before completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing practitioner in Egham who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you are not likely to be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are located in Egham

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Egham from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Egham can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers’ solicitors.
If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Organising a new share certificate is often a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Egham conveyancing deal. If a duplicate share certificate is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity. Many freeholders or Management Companies in Egham levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Egham. If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over rather than ongoing.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such matters? Can you recommend a Egham conveyancing firm to help?

if there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to judgment on the premium.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Egham property is 147 Redford Close in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the lease extension premium to be at £4,200 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 82.93 years.