I am in the process of refinancing my flat in Stevenage, does my lawyer have to be on the Aldermore Conveyancing panel?

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Aldermore will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

I'm the single beneficiary of my late mum's estate and I have everything in my name alone, including the my former home in Stevenage. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in January. I plan to dispose of the property. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', meaning my property ownership will be treated the same way as if I'd bought the property in January. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you may be caught by that. Most lenders would take a pragmatic view as this requirement chiefly exists to pick up on the purchase and immediately sell or the flipping of properties.

I've read lots of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Stevenage solicitor - who is on the Skipton conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Skipton will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Skipton 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own Stevenage surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

Our sealed bid on a house in Stevenage has been agreed to, the vendors do nevertheless have a connected purchase. The owners have placed an offer on on an apartment, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Stevenage. What should be my next step? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Leeds Building Society?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then valuation, Stevenage conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to ensure that your solicitor is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Concerning the next phase this very much depends on the uniqueness of your case, desire for the property and on the state of the market. During a hot market some buyers would apply for the mortgage with Leeds Building Society and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their conveyancing practitioner to proceed with searches.

Should my lawyer be raising enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Stevenage.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers dealing with homes in Stevenage. Plenty of people will acquire a property in Stevenage, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that may be initiated by the buyer or by their lawyers which will figure out the risks in Stevenage. The conventional set of information given to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual inquiry of the vendor to discover whether the property has ever been flooded. If the property has been flooded in past and is not notified by the owner, then a buyer may bring a compensation claim as a result of such an inaccurate reply. The purchaser’s conveyancers should also conduct an enviro search. This will higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further investigations will need to be made.

How does conveyancing in Stevenage differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Stevenage contact us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because developers in Stevenage usually buy the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Stevenage or who has acted in the same development.

I was recommended by a couple of local property agents in Stevenage to get a quote from a conveyancer using your seach tool. Is there a financial upside for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over and above a competitor’s?

We don’t offer any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We thought it would be too underhand a fee because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.