My wife and I are planning to buy a flat in Teddington and have appointed a Teddington conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Coventry Building Society have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Teddington lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?

If you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Teddington solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

My wife and I are approaching an exchange on a property in Teddington and my parents have transferred the exchange deposit to my property lawyer. I am now advised that as the deposit has been sent from someone other than me my conveyancing practitioner needs to make a notification to my mortgage company. Apparently, in also acting for the bank he must inform them that the balance of the purchase price is not just from me. I disclosed to the lender about my parents' contribution when I applied for the mortgage, so is it really necessary for him to raise this?

Your conveyancing practitioner is legally required to check with the bank to ensure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own funds. Your solicitor can only report this to your lender if you permit them to, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

I have justbecome aware that Arc property Solicitors have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Teddington for a purchase of a leasehold flat 9 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is in my name in the name of the previous owner?

The quickest way to see if the premises is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Teddington conveyancing specialists.

I am purchasing a new build house in Teddington with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The estate agent suggested that I not reveal to my conveyancer about the side-deal as it may put at risk my mortgage with the bank. 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.

My husband and I are first time buyers - had an offer accepted, but the estate agent informed us that the owners will only go ahead if we instruct the agent's chosen solicitors as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a family conveyancer used to conveyancing in Teddington

We suspect that the owner is unaware of this ultimatum. Should the seller desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a genuine buyer is going to damage their objectives. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to progress, with finances arranged © you are chain free (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you are going to instruct your own,trusted Teddington conveyancing solicitors - rather thanthe ones that will provide their negotiator at the agency a referral fee or meet his conveyancing targets demanded by corporate headquarters.