I am due to complete on the purchase of a property in Leyburn but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have was able negotiate reparation from the vendor of £3k taking the form of a deduction in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of amending the contract but HSBC are not allowing this. Why were they informed?

Your conveyancing practitioner that is on a HSBC approved list is duty bound to inform HSBC of any changes to the sale price. If you were to refuse your lawyer to notify the reduction to HSBC then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, HSBC and you would have to appoint a new property lawyer for your conveyancing in Leyburn.

Me and my brother have a 4 bedroom Georgian property in Leyburn. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Alliance & Leicester . I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. Is it worth asking Alliance & Leicester to clarify?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Leyburn and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the position with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Leyburn with a mortgage from Platform Home Loans Ltd. The builders would not reduce the price so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent advised me not to tell my solicitor about this extras as it could put at risk my mortgage with Platform Home Loans Ltd. 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.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one close by in Leyburn I like with open areas and transport links nearby, however it's only got 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Leyburn in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.

What does commercial conveyancing in Leyburn cover?

Non domestic conveyancing in Leyburn incorporates a broad array of advice, provided by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. For example, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the transfer of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of leases.