Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to visit the offices of the solicitor to execute the mortgage deed? If so, I will instruct a firm who offer conveyancing in Godalming so that I can attend their offices if required.

As opposed to 12 years ago, most lenders no longer need their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the mortgagors signature. It will still be necessary for you to provide identification documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your situation a conveyancing solicitor in Godalming.

There are numerous conveyancing solicitors in Godalming but how do I know who I should use?

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Godalming conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

Have just purchased a probate house at auction in Godalming. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?

Given that you are now for all intents and purposes signed on the dotted line you now have to instruct a conveyancing practitioner soon as you will have a pending a fixed date to complete the deal. All auction property should have a bespoke auction pack. This will include most,if not all of the documents that your lawyer will need. In the case of leasehold premises the auction papers may contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork pertinent to leasehold premises. You must pass this on to the lawyer instructed by you at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that you have funds organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

I'm at the point of viewing apartments in Godalming and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it best to have my property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a home loan with Bank of Ireland.

You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the estate agent. Given that you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

My relative suggested that where I am purchasing in Godalming I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Godalming conveyancing searches. It is a large document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Godalming 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, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Godalming.

I am buying my first flat in Godalming with a mortgage from TSB. The developers refused to move on the price so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The property agent suggested that I not disclose to my conveyancer about the side-deal as it would affect my mortgage with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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 have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one near me in Godalming I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Godalming suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan that many years will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you could ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.