We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The bank mentioned the loan came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to appoint their panel conveyancer as I would much rather instruct a local conveyancing solicitor in Chichester?

You should check but the the probability is that give you one of their panel solicitors if you take up the "fee-free" offer. Call the mortgage company to ask if they make available a monetary alternative. In the past a few mortgage companies offered a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case you could put that amount towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor in Chichester.

My wife and I are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our house in Chichester and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. Any local conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers are using a web based conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Chichester. We have lived in Chichester for three years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should check with 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)

I own a terraced Victorian house in Chichester. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Santander. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the matching property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Chichester and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the position with your conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.

I'm buying a new build house in Chichester with a loan from Coventry Building Society. The developers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not disclose to my solicitor about the side-deal as it may adversely affect my loan with the bank. 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.

I opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Chichester ahead of instructing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some lenders may not grant a loan on this type of property.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements for example to Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Chichester. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.