IfI were to buy a straightforward housein Pimlico for cash and dispense with a survey and no conveyancing searches how much should I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Pimlico?

The only reduction in fees you would achieve is the disbursement for searches. Your conveyancing practitioner is required to do the vast majority of work - money laundering, liaising with the sellers conveyancing practitioner, SDLT return, register the title etc. You might save a bit for them not needing to register a mortgage but it will not be meaningful.

I am downsizing from our property in Pimlico and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a nationwide conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Pimlico. We have lived in Pimlico for 4 years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer already. What do they say? You need to enquire of 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 life insurance to cover that same sickness)

The deeds to my property can not be found. The lawyers who handled the conveyancing in Pimlico 5 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?

As long as you have a registered title the details of your ownership will be retained by HMLR under a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, identify your house and secure current copies of the Registered Entries for less than a fiver. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally retain a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for twenty pounds.

I am purchasing a new build house in Pimlico with a mortgage from Yorkshire Building Society. The developers would not reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent advised me not inform my solicitor about the deal as it would put at risk my mortgage with the bank. 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 am 3 weeks into a leasehold purchase having been referred to a firm by the high street agent to perform conveyancing in Pimlico. I am am starting to be frustrated with the quality of service. Can you you assist me in finding new solicitors?

They would need to be really poor in order to consider diss instructing them. Has the mortgage been sent? If so you must inform them of the new contact details and ensure the mortgage documents are re-issued. Your new conveyancer should be on the lenders panel to avoid escalating fees and frustration. So that should be your starting point. The find a solicitor tool should assist you in finding a bank approved conveyancer for your home move in Pimlico