My wife and I are acquiring a newly constructed duplex in Fulham and my conveyancer is telling me that she has to the mortgage company to reveal incentives from the builder. The Estate Agents are hassling me to exchange contracts and my preference is not to delay matters. Is my lawyer right?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

It is 10 years ago since I acquired my house in Fulham. Conveyancing lawyers have now been appointed on the sale but I am unable to track down the title deeds. Is this a major issue?

Don’t worry too much. Firstly the deeds may be with the mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the solicitor who handled the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Fulham involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it is more of a problem but is resolvable.

I can see plenty of information on this site concerning conveyancing in Fulham but what is your top tip for choosing the right conveyancer in Fulham

We would encourage you not to go for the cheapest Fulham conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

My wife and I purchasing a 3 bedroom semi in Fulham. We would like to an extension at the rear at the house.Will legal conveyancing on the property involve checks to ascertain if these alterations are permitted?

Your conveyancer should review the deeds as conveyancing in Fulham will on occasion reveal restrictions in the title documents which prevent certain alterations or necessitated the consent of a 3rd party. Certain works require local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

Is there a list of Coventry BS panel solicitors in Fulham on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such facility on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lending institutions make their panel listings open the public online. Where you are looking for a Fulham conveyancer on the Coventry BS please make the most of our facility.

What will a local search inform me regarding the house my wife and I buying in Fulham?

Fulham conveyancing often commences with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company for example Searchflow The local search is essential in every Fulham conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any unpleasant once you have moved into your property. The search will reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic areas.

Your search tool is useful but there are many lawyers listed near Fulham being on the mortgage company conveyancing panel. It would be a lot more helpful if you could recommend a specific firm on the lender approved panel?

We are not in the business of recommending one firm above another as the right Fulham conveyancing solicitor for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with Fulham 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..