My god-son is about to exchange on a newly built flat in West Harrow with a mortgage from TSB. His lawyer has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. What is this document - I have never come across this before?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the TSB conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the TSB conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

It is is a decade since I acquired my home in West Harrow. Conveyancing lawyers have just been instructed on the sale but I am unable to track down the title deeds. Will this cause complications?

Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a chance that the deeds will be retained by the lender or they could be archived with the conveyancers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in West Harrow involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it is more tricky but is resolvable.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in West Harrow. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in West Harrow

The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in West Harrow in advance of appointing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the property. My surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will refuse to grant a loan on such a premises.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements for example to Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can look into this further with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in West Harrow. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in West Harrow to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

We are FTB’s just having agreed a price on a property in West Harrow, and are about to get solicitors instructed. We have utilised the different rating tools and the results are from all over the country. Is it necessary to have a West Harrow property lawyer local to your potential property? I am happy to do everything over email, but I guess at some stage we may need to visit the property lawyer's office to sign documents?

On the whole there is no need to attend the office of your property lawyer, they can send any relevant documents to you, which you can sign and send back. Many home movers prefer to instruct a locally based solicitor, but it is not essential for conveyancing in West Harrow.