The vendors of the house we are looking to purchase have instructed a conveyancing practitioner in Hoxton who has suggested a lock out contract with a down payment of 5k. Are such agreements sensible?

There are a couple of main concerns with signing a lock out contract (also termed a no-shop agreement) is that it diverts attention away from progressing with the conveyancing work, so unless it requires limited or no negotiation then it may transpire to be unhelpful. It is not promoted by Hoxton conveyancing lawyers for this reason. The other main issue is the extent of the remedies available - a jilted purchaser should not expect to win an injunctive ruling by a court to stop the vendor completing the sale to a third party, so the only remedy open via the agreement will be the reimbursement of abortive charges and, in restricted circumstances, the extra payment of penalties.

At what point does exchange of contracts occur in sale conveyancing in Hoxton and am I required to be at the conveyancers branch?

Where you are in close proximity to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Hoxton you are invited in to sign contracts. However, the lender approved solicitors we recommend offer a national conveyancing service and provide as equally diligent and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The signing of the contract is not the point of no return. Signing on the dotted line simply enables the firm to officially exchange when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Hoxton)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.

Can you clarify what the consequences are if my solicitor is removed from the Virgin Money Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Hoxton?

The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.

I am the sole beneficiary of my late mum's will and I have everything in my name now, including the house in Hoxton. The Hoxton property was put into my name in October. I want to move. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship may be regarded the same way as if I'd bought the property in October. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The CML handbook requires solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you could be caught by that. Most lenders would take a pragmatic view as this requirement is primarily there to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the quick reselling of properties.

How can we tell if a Hoxton conveyancing solicitor on the Nottingham panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Hoxton obtaining recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always suggest that you speak with the solicitor conducting your transaction.

We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Skipton. Hoxton conveyancing lawyers have been selected. How long does it take for Skipton to forward the offer to the conveyancing practitioner?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Skipton done the valuation? Have you informed Skipton as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Skipton conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Hoxton. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Hoxton - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I am the registered owner of a two-bedroom flat in Hoxton. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the premium due for a lease extension?

Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Hoxton conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Hoxton residence is 137 & 139 Haberdasher Street in December 2013. The Tribunal determines in accordance with section 48 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease for each Property should be £12,350.00. This case related to 2 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 72.39 years.