I can understand the £500 on completion

I would guess he is very used to cases being turned down over the last 2 years, he is looking for the £100 up front to cover any work he puts in that's wasted if you are rejected.
See if he will accept £600 on completion with no upfront? Worth a try and you can also guage his reaction as to whether he really does think you'll get the deal.

Posted By: JoeyDeacon, Aug 25, 15:44:27