I am in a contract race with another prospective purchaser for a property in Fetcham. What can I do to expedite the conveyancing process?

In a situation where you are under time constraints for your conveyancing we would recommend that your lawyer is familiar with the area as they will have local connections and insight. It is even conceivable that they could have transacted previousproperties in the same road. You would be best advised to use a Fetcham conveyancing firm. In addition, double check that the conveyancing firm is on the on the approved list for your mortgage company. It is estimated that just under twenty per cent of Fetcham conveyancing transactions are delayed or derailed after discovering a buyer’s solicitor was not on their mortgage lender’s list of approved solicitors. This can often result in the legal process being held up by an average of three weeks. It is believed that this issue impacts in the region of 100,000 home sales annually. Many Fetcham conveyancing practices can not act for certain lenders so do check at the outset.

It is is a decade since I acquired my home in Fetcham. Conveyancing solicitors have now been instructed on the sale but I am unable to find my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be retained by your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Fetcham involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Fetcham?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Fetcham. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am purchasing a new build house in Fetcham with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative told me not to tell my lawyer about the extras as it will impact my loan with Clydesdale. 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.

Should I go with a Fetcham conveyancing solicitor based in the vicinity that I am hoping to buy? An old friend can conduct the legal work but his firm is located 400miles away.

The benefit of a high street Fetcham conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, present your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have used your friend and they were impressed that should trump using an unfamiliar Fetcham conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being local.