Can you help? My Waterbeach conveyancer is advising me that he has toorder Waterbeach conveyancing searches due to the fact thatthe firm are on the Nat Westconveyancing panel. Is this really necessary?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. As you are obtaining a mortgage with a lender your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your property lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Waterbeach conveyancing searches.

We are looking to buy a house and need a conveyancing solicitor in Waterbeach who is on the UBS approved panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for UBS . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Waterbeach.

I have been referred to a conveyancing solicitor in Waterbeach. I I am struggling to find out if they are on the Platform Home Loans Ltd conveyancing panel. Could you or the lender confirm if they are on the panel?

You should call your conveyancer and ask them if they are on the lender panel. Otherwise you can call Platform Home Loans Ltd who may be able to confirm.

I am purchasing my first flat in Waterbeach with a loan from Chelsea Building Society. The sellers refused to budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not disclose to my solicitor about the extras as it could put at risk my loan with the bank. Is this normal?.

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.

Taking into account that I will soon spend £400,000 on a property in Waterbeach I would like to talk to a lawyer about myconveyancing ahead of instructing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

Absolutely - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the solicitor who will be conducting your property ownership legalities in Waterbeach.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important person, not a case number. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are provided with for residential conveyancing in Waterbeach should be the figure that you end up paying.