My partner and I are buying a newly built apartment in Grove Park and my solicitor is informing me that she has to the lender to reveal incentives from the builder. The Estate Agents are hassling me to exchange and I would rather not delay deal. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancer. A precondition to being on a bank panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

Do I select a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Grove Park?

There are two types of lawyers who can perform conveyancing in Grove Park namely CLC regulated conveyancers or solicitors. Both professionals administer conveyancing services that you need to complete the disposal or acquisition of property. Both are obliged to handle Grove Park conveyancing on similar standards and guidelines so you may be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be professionally conducted and that the requirements and procedures should be appropriately adhered to.

When it comes to lenders such as Barclays, do Grove Park conveyancers incur a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any bank fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

I have instructed a Grove Park lawyer having checked that they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

HSBC will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually HSBC will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Grove Park surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

Will our conveyancer be making enquiries regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Grove Park.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers dealing with homes in Grove Park. Plenty of people will buy a house in Grove Park, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Lawyers are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a number of searches that may be initiated by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Grove Park. The conventional set of property information forms given to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a usual inquiry of the owner to discover if the property has historically flooded. If the property has been flooded in past which is not disclosed by the vendor, then a purchaser may bring a legal claim for losses as a result of such an incorrect response. A buyer’s conveyancers will also conduct an enviro search. This will higlight if there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be initiated.

I have todayfound out that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Grove Park for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 10 months ago. How can I check that the property is in my name in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest method to see if the premises is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Grove Park conveyancing specialists.

My husband and I are novice buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the estate agent told us that the vendor will only go ahead if we instruct their recommended lawyers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Grove Park

It is unlikely the owners are behind this. Should the seller desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a serious purchaser is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Contact the sellers directly and explain that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are ready to go, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you will continue to appoint your preferred Grove Park conveyancing firm - as opposed tothe ones that will earn their negotiator at the agency a kickback or achieve conveyancing thresholds pre-set by HQ.