We are buying a flat in Sawtry. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a lawyer? On the day of competition we have to send money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our money?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

We are aiming to move property in December. Should my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the completion day. As an aside, can you recommend a removal company in Sawtry. Conveyancing lawyer was chosen prior to coming across this website.

On the afternoon of completion you will need to pick up the keys from your estate agent but this should only be done once the sellers lawyers advise the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be collected. You should inform the removal men that you are ready to move in. We are not in a position to suggest a particular removal company but can help you find a conveyancing in Sawtry or a legal practice with expertise in conveyancing in Sawtry.

After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Sawtry. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £150. A couple of days later, the conveyancing practitioner called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Virgin Money panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

My colleague recommended that if I am purchasing in Sawtry I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Sawtry conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Sawtry around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Sawtry Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Sawtry.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Sawtry?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Sawtry. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am buying a new build house in Sawtry benefiting from help to buy. The builders would not reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent suggested that I not inform my conveyancer about the extras as it could adversely affect my mortgage with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

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.

My cousin has recommend that I appoint his conveyancers in Sawtry. Should I choose my own conveyancer?

Much as we are happy to recommend a Sawtry conveyancing lawyer it’s preferable to find a conveyancing solicitor is to have guidance from friends or family who have previously instructed the firm you're contemplating using.