Me and my fiancee are buying our first property. Our conveyancer has e-mailedto enquire if we wish to take out extra conveyancing searches. As novices we in the dark as to what's appropriate for conveyancing in Putney Vale

The range of Putney Vale conveyancing searches depends entirely on the premises, the location, the probability of any of these risks, your familiarity of the region and risks, your overall attitude to risk. What is important is that you adequately comprehend what information the searches could provide. You may then decide if you personally think you need that information. If in doubt, ask the property lawyer to provide guidance.

There is lots of information on this site regarding conveyancing in Putney Vale but can you isolate your top tip for appointing the right conveyancer in Putney Vale

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Putney Vale conveyancing quote. 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 know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.

The mortgage over my property is with Principality for my property in Putney Vale. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Principality?

Your original mortgage agreement with Principality will provide that you need their approval prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Principality’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Principality will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Principality directly. You need not do this via a Principality conveyancing panel firm.

I was told four weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Co-operative. Is it usual for Co-operative to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Putney Vale is approved on their conveyancing panel? Co-operative have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Co-operative to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

Me and my brother have a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Putney Vale. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Santander. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the matching address. Is it worth asking Santander to clarify?

You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Putney Vale 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 mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Putney Vale with a loan from Bank of Scotland. The builders refused to move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent told me not inform my lawyer about the extras as it will impact my mortgage with Bank of Scotland. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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 recently realised that I have 62 years remaining on my flat in Putney Vale. I am keen to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to track down the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent may be useful to carry out a search and to produce an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Putney Vale.

My wife and I have hit a brick wall in trying to purchase the freehold in Putney Vale. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a Putney Vale conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Putney Vale residence is 158 West Hill in November 2010. the Tribunal held that the premium to be paid for the freehold reversion should be £99,650 This case affected 7 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 75.88 years.