I am in the process of mortgaging my flat in Crawley Down, does my lawyer need to be on the Barclays Solicitor panel?
In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Barclays conveyancing panel, but Barclays would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same conveyancing matter.
I am purchasing a property in Crawley Down. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Virgin Money be concerned?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Virgin Money your lawyer must follow the formal requirements contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Virgin Money. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Virgin Money where a lease does not satisfy these provisions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Crawley Down.
I had an offer accepted on a house in Crawley Down on 11/6/2026, valuation was booked 4 days later, all came back fine. Solicitor appointed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Bank of Ireland and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Bank of Ireland to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I've read lots of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Crawley Down solicitor - who is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Kent Reliance will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Kent Reliance will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Crawley Down surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
I have been told that property searches are the primary cause of stalling in Crawley Down conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the determinations of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the common causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to feature in any slowing down conveyancing in Crawley Down.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Crawley Down?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Crawley Down. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I was pointed in your direction by numerous selling agents in Crawley Down to locate a solicitor using your seach tool. Is there a financial incentive for Estate Agents to promote your lawyers ahead of alternative conveyancing organisations?
We don’t offer any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers to this site. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
We are about to complete on the purchase a house in Crawley Down but as a result of wreckage from the recent storms I have negotiated recompense from the vendor of £3k in the form of a adjustment in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process however my lender will not agree to this. Should they have been approached?
Your lawyer that is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel is required to advise the lender of any amendments to the purchase amount. If you were to refuse your conveyancer to disclose the reduction to your lender then they would have no choice but to disinstructing themselves from acting for you and the bank.