We are buying a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Saltdean. The intention is to convert the garage to an office at the house.Will the conveyancing process involve checks to determine if these alterations are permitted?

Your conveyancer will review the registered title as conveyancing in Saltdean will sometimes identify restrictions in the title deeds which restrict certain works or necessitated the consent of a 3rd party. Certain extensions call for local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. It would be wise to check these issues with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.

We had selected conveyancers locally in Saltdean on the Bank of Ireland solicitor panel. They are now charging me a separate fee for handling the Bank of Ireland mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Bank of Ireland?

Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner can charge a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Bank of Ireland but by your Saltdean solicitor. Plenty of firms on the Bank of Ireland panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.

We expect to receive a AIP from Clydesdale 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 Clydesdale recommend any Saltdean solicitors on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

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

It has been 4 months following my purchase conveyancing in Saltdean took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Saltdean with the aid of help to buy. The builders refused to reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The estate agent suggested that I not inform my solicitor about the side-deal as it may impact my loan with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.

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.

Back In 2002, I bought a leasehold flat in Saltdean. Conveyancing and Godiva Mortgages Ltd mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Saltdean who previously acted has long since retired. What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a Saltdean conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Saltdean Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Is the freehold owned collectively by the leaseholders? Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that could add a premium to the maintenance fees? What is the length of the lease?

I need to switch lawyers as my Saltdean lawyer is not on the mortgage company's approved list of conveyancing solicitors. Is it practical to instruct different lawyers?

In the event that you have not formally instructed a solicitor to commence the conveyancing and have just received an estimate as to costs, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer in Saltdean that you're thinking of instructing.