This question may be naive but I am new to the home moving as a 1st time purchaser of a ground floor flat in Hitchin.Do I collect the keys to the premises on the completion date from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Hitchin?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will arrange to send the purchase money to the vendor’s solicitors, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be able to pick up the keys from the selling Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen early afternoon.

Is it necessary to take out insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when acquiring a property in Hitchin?

Unless a previous acquisition of the house completed post 12 October 2013 you could expect solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Hitchin to remain recommending a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.

i am buying my first flat in Hitchin benefiting from help to buy. The sellers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The house builders rep told me not reveal to my lawyer about the side-deal as it will put at risk my loan with the bank. 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.