We are due to complete on the purchase of a house in Manor Park but as a consequence of damage from some water damage at the property I have was able negotiate compensation from the current proprietors in the sum of £2k by way of a reduction in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of amending the contract but Virgin Money will not permit this. Should they have been informed?

Any property lawyer that is on a Virgin Money approved list is obliged to disclose to Virgin Money of any amendments to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your conveyancing practitioner to notify the reduction to Virgin Money then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Virgin Money and you would have to appoint a new conveyancing practitioner for your conveyancing in Manor Park.

A colleague informed me that in purchasing a property in Manor Park there could be various restrictions prohibiting external changes to a property. Is this right?

There are anumerous of properties in Manor Park which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Manor Park should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Nottingham. Manor Park conveyancing solicitors were chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Nottingham?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Nottingham conducted the survey? Have you informed Nottingham as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I have instructed a Manor Park lawyer having made sure that they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Virgin Money will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Virgin Money will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Manor Park postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Manor Park.

I used Action Conveyancing several years ago for my conveyancing in Manor Park. I now require my file however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Manor Park of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I have been recommended by numerous property agents in Manor Park to find a property lawyer using your seach tool. What’s the financial upside for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers over a competitor’s?

We don’t make any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

I am short of a 10% deposit on my house purchase in Manor Park , but I am keen exchange. Do I have options?

One option is to try and agree a lower deposit. Most vendors will agree to a lesser deposit or even no deposit for a first time buyer or 100% mortgage. Be aware though that if you fail to complete you will still need to hand over a minimum of 10% of the purchase price regardless of how much deposit was agreed.

You can also agree a simultaneous exchange and completion as no deposit is required for this however neither party will be tied in until completion actually takes place and it can be risky if sellers change their mind at the last moment