Me and my fiance are purchasing a ground floor flat in Stowmarket. My Conveyancer is not listed on the lender approved panel. Is it possible for me to retain my Stowmarket conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the lender panel?

You have numerous choices open to you here

• Proceed with your existing Stowmarket lawyer but your mortgage company will undoubtedly retain a lawyer on their approved list. The net result is additional cost together with potential frustration.
• Appoint a fresh conveyancing practitioner to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Convince your lawyer to apply to join the mortgage company panel

In the event thatI was to buy a straightforward propertyin Stowmarket for cash and dispense with a survey and no local authority searches how much could I expect to to save on my conveyancing in Stowmarket?

The sole reduction in fees you would achieve is the costs for searches. The conveyancing practitioner still got to do everything else - money laundering, correspond with the vendors conveyancer, stamp duty submission, register the title etc. A marginal saving might be made by not having to register a charge but it won't be significant.

As someone not used to conveyancing in Stowmarket what is your top tip you can give me concerning the legal transfer of property in Stowmarket

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Stowmarket and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of room for friction between you and other parties involved in the house moving process. E.g., the seller, estate agent and sometimes the lender. Selecting a lawyer for your conveyancing in Stowmarket should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE person in the process whose responsibility is to protect your legal interests and to protect you.

Every so often a third party with a vested interest will try and convince you that you should follow their advice. For example, the property agent may claim to be helping by claiming that your lawyer is dragging his heels. Or your mortgage broker may advise you to do take action that is contrary to your lawyers recommendation. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.

Should our lawyer be making enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Stowmarket.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers dealing with homes in Stowmarket. There are those who purchase a house in Stowmarket, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a number of searches that can be undertaken by the buyer or by their conveyancers which should give them a better understanding of the risks in Stowmarket. The standard information given to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a standard inquiry of the seller to discover whether the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the owner, then a buyer could commence a claim for damages resulting from an incorrect reply. The purchaser’s solicitors should also commission an environmental report. This should higlight whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be conducted.

I'm buying my first flat in Stowmarket with a loan from Barclays . The developers would not budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent advised me not reveal to my conveyancer about the side-deal as it could jeopardize my mortgage with Barclays . Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.