Having been recommended your service we were about to go ahead with a conveyancing solicitor in Kettering recommended using your search tool but stumbled across alternative costs illustrations via the web look less pricey – why is this?

There are many firms of solicitors advertising supposedly £99 conveyancing, unfortunately it’s common in such cases for additionalcosts end up with the completion bill being inflated. Conveyancers are obliged to make sure that fees outlined in terms of business should be transparent and reasonable invoiced The conveyancers that we list for conveyancing in Kettering specify all charges for a residential conveyancing transaction.

I am being told by my lawyer that lack of building regulations insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Kettering?

The right level of lack of building regulations indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between Lloyds TSB Bank and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.

We were going to get a DIP from Clydesdale this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Clydesdale recommend any Kettering solicitors on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

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

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Kettering. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their property lawyer. I paid an upfront payment of £200. Not long after, the conveyancer contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Kent Reliance panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I am purchasing a new build house in Kettering with a loan from Platform Home Loans Ltd. The builders would not reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The property agent suggested that I not disclose to my solicitor about this side-deal as it may affect my mortgage with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

I have been recommended by numerous estate agents in Kettering to select a property lawyer on your site. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to market your services rather than alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to make any commission for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I am attracted to a couple of maisonettes in Kettering which have approximately forty five years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in Kettering. The lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As a lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease decreases and it becomes more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area.

I purchased a studio flat in Kettering, conveyancing formalities finalised July 2008. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Kettering with an extended lease are worth £211,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2094

You have 68 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.