As someone unfamiliar with the Hartfield conveyancing process what’s your top tip you can impart for the legal transfer of property in Hartfield

Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Hartfield and elsewhere in East Sussex is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is plenty of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. For instance, the vendor, property agent and on occasion your lender. Choosing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Hartfield an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY person in the process whose role it is to look after your legal interests and to keep you safe.

We are witnessing a definite creep in the "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your conveyancer above all other parties when it comes to the legal assignment of property.

My house in Hartfield is up for sale and I have a buyer. Does the property lawyer need to be required to be on the Skipton conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Skipton conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their conditions fairly frequently at the moment.

I'm buying a new build house in Hartfield benefiting from help to buy. The builders would not budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The house builders rep told me not to tell my conveyancer about the extras as it may impact my loan 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.

My father has suggested that I instruct his lawyers for conveyancing in Hartfield. Should I use them?

There are no two ways about it the best way to select a conveyancing solicitor is to get guidance from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor you're contemplating using.

I have noted on various consumer advice websites that when choosing a conveyancing firm they need approved by your bank. This is my first house move but I have an offer in principle with Halifax and I already have a local conveyancing solicitor in Hartfield in place. Does HSBC insist on an approved conveyancer to be instructed? If so, where do I find that list for my conveyancing in Hartfield?

You need to instruct a solicitor that is on the HSBC panel. Just ring your chosen Hartfield conveyancing lawyer and ask if they are on the HSBC panel. If they are not approved you have numerous options available to you here:

• Proceed with your existing Hartfield conveyancer but HSBC will no doubt appoint a lawyer from their approved panel. The net result is additional fees and probable interruption.
• Appoint a new lawyer to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel.
• Convince your conveyancer to seek to join the mortgage company panel.