I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a fairly new development (6 years old) in Sheerness. Almost all the flats have already been disposed of. Is it really necessary to order conveyancing searches for my conveyancing in Sheerness?

You are putting yourself at risk in failing carrying out Sheerness conveyancing searches. Without searches you have no clarity over flooding, environmental etc which may mean you walk away due to potential problems down the line. If you are buying without a mortgage there is no legal necessity to have them, but we would seriously advise in no uncertain terms that your lawyer conducts them. If speed and cost are primary issues you should consider with your conveyancer about the options such as contingency insurance available to you

2 months have elapsed since my purchase conveyancing in Sheerness took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I'm buying my first flat in Sheerness with a mortgage from . The developers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not disclose to my lawyer about this deal as it may affect my loan with . 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.