My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Lickey End. Conveyancing is necessary. What happens now?

Now that you have exchanged you will need to retain a conveyancing lawyer as a matter of urgency as you will have a fast approaching a drop dead date to complete the property. Every auction property will have an associated auction pack. This will include evidence of title and search results. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the conveyancing pack may include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork pertinent to leasehold premises. You must give this to the lawyer instructed by you at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that you have funds organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Lickey End off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Barclays. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Barclays, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel.

I currently have a mortgage with Barclays for my property in Lickey End. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Barclays?

Barclays must be informed of your intention before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Barclays’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Barclays will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Barclays directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Barclays conveyancing panel firm.

My wife and I are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in Lickey End and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. Any local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a web based conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Lickey End. We have lived in Lickey End for three years we know that this is a non issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation need.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. What do they say? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

I am buying my first flat in Lickey End with a loan from Skipton Building Society. The sellers refused to move on the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The house builders rep told me not reveal to my conveyancer about the deal as it may put at risk my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

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.

Am I right to be concerned that estate agents that I am dealing with are recommending a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Lickey End conveyancing practice?

As with many professional services, often referrals from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. Yet there are many parties with a keen interest in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders might all recommend conveyancers to select. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there may be a financial incentive behind the endorsement. You are at liberty to select your preferred lawyer. Don't forget that many banks specify a panel list of lawyers you have to use for the lender aspect of your transaction.

Should one as executor remove a departed person's name from the title register for a property in Lickey End?

Where a Lickey End property is jointly owned and one of the proprietors dies, the name will not immediately be removed from the title deeds. It is not necessary to amend the title as in the event of a disposal your conveyancer would simply be asked to supply proof why the joint proprietor is not a party to the conveyance, usually this takes the form of a grant of probate.

With a view to making things simpler for the sale of the property you may arrange to have the deceased person removed from the title entries by applying to HMLR with evidence of the death. There is no land registry fee payable.