I am purchasing a property mortgage free in Welwyn Garden City. I have been living for the previous twelve years in Welwyn Garden City. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. As I have knowledge of the road and vicinity intimately must I have all the conveyancing searches?

If you not getting a mortgage, then the vast majority of the Welwyn Garden City conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your lawyer will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have searches completed, but he is duty bound to take that path of advice. Do bear in mind; if you are going to sell the house at a future date, it could be of interest to your prospective purchaser what the searches determine. There are plenty of instances where properties with day to day issues can still throw up negative search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Welwyn Garden City should be able to give you some helpful advice here.

I am purchasing a semi-detached house in Welwyn Garden City. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Welwyn Garden City you will have to appoint a solicitor on your mortgage company's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Welwyn Garden City.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Aldermore, do Welwyn Garden City lawyers face a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are not aware of any bank fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Welwyn Garden City. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Coventry BS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Coventry BS your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions set out in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Coventry BS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Coventry BS where a lease does not comply with these specifications. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Welwyn Garden City.

I am expecting a DIP from Coventry BS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Coventry BS recommend any Welwyn Garden City solicitors on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Welwyn Garden City solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Coventry BS through the process.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Welwyn Garden City?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Welwyn Garden City. 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 purchasing a house with all finances in place. I have provided lawyer with 2 distinct evidence of photographic identification, bank statement, multiple utility bills. Now he needs a copy from a probate lawyer advising that the money is in place and that it has come from inheritance and not selling fake DVD.

For some years now requires conveyancing solicitors as well as banks, building societies and other financial institutes to obtain satisfactory evidence of the identity of the client. This is because solicitors who deal with money and property on behalf of their clients can be used by criminals wishing to launder money. In order to comply with the law of money laundering, your Welwyn Garden City conveyancing lawyer will need to obtain evidence of your identity as as well as make sure that your funds are legitimate.