My grandson is buying a new build apartment in Sydenham Hill with a mortgage from Virgin Money. His lawyer has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Virgin Money conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

A relative advised me that if I am buying in Sydenham Hill I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is sometimes included in the estimate for your Sydenham Hill conveyancing searches. It is a large document of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Sydenham Hill around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Sydenham Hill Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Sydenham Hill.

I am buying my first flat in Sydenham Hill with a mortgage from Britannia. The sellers would not reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep told me not to tell my solicitor about this extras as it could jeopardize my mortgage with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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 was pointed in your direction by numerous property agents in Sydenham Hill to locate a conveyancer using your seach tool. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers ahead of a competitor’s?

We don’t offer any commission for directing people to this site. We thought it would be too underhand a fee because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

Your search tool is useful but there are many lawyers listed near Sydenham Hill being on the lender conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a specific firm on the lender approved panel?

We are not in the business of recommending one firm above another as the right Sydenham Hill conveyancing firm for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with Sydenham Hill knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. Before you appoint your lawyer we advise you to speak to two or three of the the firms listed to gain comfort as to which one is right for you..