I am in need of a conveyancer. Do I opt for a web based conveyancer or a local Valley conveyancing lawyer?

Generally conveyancing lawyers in your area will benefit from strong connections with your local authority, which can assist with the Valley conveyancing searches that your solicitor will require on your transaction. It can only be a plus if they enjoy existing relationships with the Land Registry overseeing your area Valley, other conveyancers in the location and Valley Estate Agents.

My god-son is purchasing a new build apartment in Valley with a home loan from . His lawyer has said that there is a delay in receiving the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?

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 valuer when asked. 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.

My flat in Valley is up for sale and I have accepted an offer. Does my have to be on the conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently in recent years.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Valley benefiting from help to buy. The builders refused to move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not disclose to my solicitor about the extras as it could jeopardize my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

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.

We're new on the property ladder - agreed a price, but the estate agent has warned us that the seller will only issue a contract if we appoint the agent's chosen conveyancers as they want a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Valley

It is improbable the vendors are driving this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a genuine purchaser is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Bypass the agents and go straight to the sellers and make the point that (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances in place © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you will continue to use your preferred Valley conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will provide the negotiator at the agency a kickback or achieve conveyancing figures set by HQ.