I am buying a house for cash in Harold Wood. I have been living for the last dozen years in Harold Wood. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. Given that I have knowledge of the area and road intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

In the absence of a mortgage, then almost all of the Harold Wood conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your solicitor will 'advise', no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches done, but she has a professional duty to do this. Do bear in mind; if you are going to dispose of the house one day, it will be of importance to your prospective purchaser what the searches determine. On occasion properties with apparent issues can still show up unpredicted search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Harold Wood should provide you some sensible advice in this regard.

Do I find a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Harold Wood?

Two types of professional can carry out conveyancing in Harold Wood namely licenced conveyancers or solicitors. The two can handle the legal services that required to complete the disposal or acquisition of property. Both are duty bound to execute Harold Wood conveyancing on similar standards and guidelines so you can be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be professionally administered and that all requirements and procedures should be correctly taken.

I am assisting my step-mother sell her property in Harold Wood. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange an energy performance certificate or should I organise this?

Following the abolition of Home Packs, energy performance certificates became a compulsory part of moving house. An energy assessment needs to be to hand in advance of the property being marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that law firms normally organise. If you are using a Harold Wood conveyancing practitioner they may be willing to arrange EPC’s given their contacts with reputable local accredited person

It is unclear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Harold Wood building society branch on various occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they will lend. My Harold Wood conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called and was told they refuse to lend based on their published requirements. Who do I believe?

As long as the lawyer is on the bank panel, they must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender 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 left on the lease.

I'm buying my first flat in Harold Wood benefiting from help to buy. The developers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The property agent advised me not disclose to my conveyancer about this side-deal as it would put at risk my mortgage with Barnsley Building Society. 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.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Harold Wood is where the house is located. Can you offer any advice?

Flying freeholds in Harold Wood are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Harold Wood you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Harold Wood may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

I was recommended by numerous estate agents in Harold Wood to choose a solicitor on your site. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers ahead of a competitor’s?

We refuse to give any commission for directing people to this site. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission as a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.