My aunt passed away six months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Leek. The house had a small mortgage left on it of around £5k. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to , pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?

Given you plan to re-mortgage then will insist on your using a conveyancer on the conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

I used Wolstenholmes several years past for my conveyancing in Leek. I now require my file but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should contact 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 Leek of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I'm buying a new build house in Leek benefiting from help to buy. The builders would not move on the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative advised me not inform my conveyancer about this deal as it could put at risk my loan with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

Is it simple use the search app to find a conveyancing solicitor in Leek on the approved list for my bank?

Step one is to choose a mortgage company such as , or then choose your preferred area e.g. Leek. Conveyancing practices in Leek and beyond should be shown.

Is it best to appoint a Leek conveyancing solicitor based in the area that I am hoping to buy? We have a good friend who can deal with the conveyancing however her office is 300miles drive away.

The primary upside of using a high street Leek conveyancing firm is that you can attend the office to sign paperwork, deliver your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. Having local Leek know how is a plus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and on the whole were happy that should trump using an unknown Leek conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being Leek based.