My conveyancer has informed me that breach of easement insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Clapham?

The appropriate level of breach of easement indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between National Westminster Bank and Chelsea Building Society. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Clapham. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Virgin Money be concerned?

As your lender is Virgin Money your lawyer must comply with the formal requirements contained in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Virgin Money. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook sets out minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Virgin Money where a lease does not satisfy these requirements. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Clapham.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Clapham. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I would like to complain about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.

I appreciate that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to have this when acquiring a property in Clapham? or Apparently there is a law dating back centuries that means some house owners residing in a parish church boundary may be liable to contribute towards maintenance towards the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this appropriate for conveyancing in Clapham?

Unless a previous purchase of the property took place post 12 October 2013 you could expect lawyers delivering conveyancing in Clapham to continue to suggest a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years past for my conveyancing in Clapham. Now, I need my files however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Clapham of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Clapham with a mortgage from HSBC Bank. The builders refused to move on the price so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The property agent told me not disclose to my solicitor about this deal as it could put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

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.

I am looking into buying my first house which is in Clapham and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Clapham. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Clapham area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Clapham. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found