My wife and I have arranged the release of further funds on our mortgage from Leeds Building Society as we wish to conduct alterations to our home in Long Eaton. Do we need to appoint a nearby Long Eaton solicitor on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?

Leeds Building Society do not ordinarily require firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Leeds Building Society list.

I am expecting a DIP from Barclays this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Barclays recommend any Long Eaton solicitors on the Barclays conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Long Eaton solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Barclays conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Barclays through the process.

The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Long Eaton. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?

Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Long Eaton?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Long Eaton. 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'm purchasing a new build house in Long Eaton with a loan from Nationwide Building Society. The builders refused to reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent advised me not to tell my conveyancer about the side-deal as it will adversely affect my loan with the bank. 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 leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one close by in Long Eaton I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Long Eaton suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.

What is the reason for new build conveyancing in Long Eaton being more expensive?

Conveyancing in Long Eaton for recently converted or new build premises can sometimes involve adoption of highways & drains, building regulations approval, planning permission, new build warranties such NHBC as well as further questions and contractual concerns.