Having been told to check out your web site we were going to use a conveyancing solicitor in Shefford endorsed by you but have come across alternative fee calculations via the web seem less expensive – why is this?

There are a variety of solicitors marketing at first sight what seems to be cut price. We would encourage you to think long and hard as to how much you respect your own move to want to be penny wise pound foolish in relation to the standard of the conveyancing. Many of them accentuate a bargain fee to catch your eye but conceal additional fees in the small print..

I am considering applying for a Skipton mortgage for purchase of a newly converted (under development) in Shefford with 60% loan to value. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for Skipton ?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Skipton conveyancing panel, but Skipton would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Shefford?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Shefford. 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 buying a new build house in Shefford with a loan from The Royal Bank of Scotland. The sellers would not reduce the price so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The estate agent suggested that I not inform my solicitor about the side-deal as it could jeopardize my mortgage with The Royal Bank of Scotland. 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.

We are in the process of acquiring a house in Shefford. Conveyancing is not yet done but we wish to keep the amount we are are purchasing for private from sites such as Zoopla. what can I do to ensure this is not disclosed?

HMLR as a matter of law bound to disclose price sold information on a register of the title for residential properties nationwide including homes in Shefford. The register of ownership is an open document, so the Land Registry would be breaking the law excluded specific properties such as the one in Shefford.

In essence you can ask HMLR to withhold the amount paid data yet the answer will be a No.