We are buying a newly constructed flat in Halstead and my conveyancer is telling me that she has to the mortgage company to reveal incentives from the developer. I am under pressure to exchange contracts and I would rather not prolong deal. Is my lawyer right?

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

We had selected solicitors locally in Halstead on the HSBC solicitor panel. They are now charging me a separate amount for the legal aspects of the HSBC mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by HSBC?

Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancer may levy a fee for this. The charge is not set by HSBC but by your Halstead lawyer. Some firms on the HSBC panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but plenty of firms include it on their overall fee.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Halstead. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Santander have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Santander your lawyer must follow the conveyancing instructions set out in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Santander. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Santander where a lease fails to meet these requirements. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Halstead.

Our sealed bid on a semi in Halstead has been agreed to, the sellers do nevertheless have a dependent purchase. The owners have placed an offer on a flat, but it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other properties booked. I have selected a local conveyancing solicitor in Halstead. What should be my next step? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Principality?

It is normal to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs prematurely (home loan application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then survey, Halstead conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to check that your lawyer is on the Principality approved list. As to the subsequent phase this very much depends on the specifics of your case, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. In a hot market many buyers will apply for a home loan with Principality and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their property lawyer to move forward with searches.

I used Stirling Law a few years past for my conveyancing in Halstead. Now, I need the documents but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Halstead of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I am buying a new build flat in Halstead. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Halstead

If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared.

In scouring the world wide web for the phrase conveyancing in Halstead it reveals numerous conveyancersin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right conveyancing solicitor for me?

The ideal way of choosing the right conveyancer is via trusted recommendation, so ask colleagues and family who have acquired a property in Halstead or a local estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Halstead differ, so it's sensible to obtain at least four fee estimates from varying types of solicitors. Dont forget to clarify that the costs are guaranteed not to to be inflated.