My grandson is about to exchange on a house that has just been built in Newbury with a mortgage from . His conveyancer has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when requested. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Can you clarify what the consequences are if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Newbury?

First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.

Do commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that could impact a commercial property in Newbury?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Newbury will conduct a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers invest in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Newbury. The search result sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Newbury.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Newbury it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Newbury commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not carried out for residential conveyancing in Newbury.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one close by in Newbury I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Newbury for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

In searching the world wide web for the words conveyancing in Newbury it reveals many conveyancersin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right property lawyer for purchase transaction?

The best method of choosing the right conveyancer is through a personal testimonial, so enquire of colleagues and relatives who have acquired a property in Newbury or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Newbury differ, so it's a good idea to request a minimum of three estimates from different law firms. Be sure to obtain confirmation what costs in the quote includes.