We were just about to sign contracts for a ground floor flat in Hetton Le Hole. We encountered a problem. The loan offer with Lloyds TSB Bank expires on 30/3/2026 but the owners are insisting on a completion date of 1/4/2026. Is it possible to extend the mortgage offer?

The person best placed to deal with your concern is your lawyer who is in a position to assess if he or she is better off negotiating with the mortgage broker, seller’s lawyers, estate agents or indeed all parties based on the circumstances your transaction as of today.

We previously chose solicitors locally in Hetton Le Hole on the RBS solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me an additional fee for the legal aspects of the RBS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by RBS?

Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your lawyer is entitled to charge a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by RBS but by your Hetton Le Hole solicitor. Numerous firms on the RBS panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

My partner and I are at the point of viewing houses in Hetton Le Hole and I am now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a conveyancing practitioner in place at this stage? I will be getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland.

It would be advisable to commence your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the selling agent. As you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Hetton Le Hole. My mortgage broker suggested a property lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £150. A few days later, the conveyancer called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Santander conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Santander panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I am buying a new build house in Hetton Le Hole with a mortgage from Britannia. The sellers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not inform my solicitor about this side-deal as it would put at risk my mortgage with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

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 to sell my home. My past conveyancers has retired. I would be grateful for any recommendation of a conveyancing firm. I happen to live in Hetton Le Hole if that makes a difference.

Do use our search tool to help you find a solicitor for your conveyancing in Hetton Le Hole. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes with a minimum of fuss.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in Hetton Le Hole for my house move. Can I review a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?

Anyone can see presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations arising from inquisitions started on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor telephone calls for training purposes.