A friend informed me that in purchasing a property in Shenley there may be a number of restrictions preventing external changes to the property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Shenley which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Shenley should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

Is it the case that all Shenley solicitor practices on the Nottingham conveyancing panel are governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Nottingham approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some mortgage companies do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

My partner and I have organised the release of further funds on our home loan from RBS as we wish to carry out alterations to our house in Shenley. Do we need to choose a high street Shenley solicitor on the RBS conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?

RBS would not normally appoint firms on their conveyancing panel to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the RBS list.

I require quick conveyancing in Shenley as I am under pressure to exchange contracts within one month. A home loan is not required. Is it possible to decline from having conveyancing searches to save money and time?

As you are not taking a mortgage you have the choice not to have searches carried out although no conveyancer would recommend that you don't. Drawing on our experience of conveyancing in Shenley the following are instances of issues that can arise and adversely affect future mortgageability: Enforcement Notices, Outstanding Charges, Overdue Grants, Railway Schemes,...

I'm purchasing my first flat in Shenley with a loan from Britannia. The sellers would not budge the amount so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not inform my conveyancer about this extras as it would adversely affect my mortgage 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.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one close by in Shenley I like with amenity areas and station nearby, however it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Shenley for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan that many years will likely be problematic. Reduce the offer 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 can 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 lawyer concerning this matter.

Builders have put forward a property lawyer and I've obtained an estimate from them. They are almost £400 less expensive than my family Shenley conveyancing practitioner. What's the catch?

Developers often have lists of conveyancers who are quick and who know the builder's documentation and conveyancer. Plenty of developers offer an incentive to use their approved solicitor for this reason, any increased charges can be avoided and a builder won't put forward a conveyancing warehouse and run the risk of having the conveyancing delayed when they require an exchange within a tight deadline. The argument for not opting for the recommended conveyancer is that they may be hesitant to 'push' your interests for fear of upsetting the housebuilder. Where you have concerns that this may be the case you should keep with your high street Shenley solicitor.