It has come to my attention via my estate agent that my Esher solicitor is not on the bank Solicitor panel. What can I do to be sure whether this is correct?
You need to contact your Esher conveyancer. You lawyer should notify you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your mortgage company.
When does exchange of contracts take place for residential conveyancing in Esher and do I need to be at the solicitors branch?
If you are in close proximity to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Esher you are invited in to sign the paperwork. However, the lender approved solicitors we work with provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and provide as equally diligent and professional a job for you when dealing with you by post or email. The executing of the purchase agreement is not the point of no return. Signing on the dotted line simply enables the solicitor to address the formalities at the suitable time, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where an extended "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Esher)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
When it comes to lenders such as HSBC, do Esher conveyancing practitioners incur an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
My wife and I are spending time viewing apartments in Esher and I am now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this stage? I intend to finance via a home loan with Aldermore.
You should start requesting conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the selling agent. As you are taking out a mortgage with Aldermore, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.
Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Esher. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.
Do I need to pay for insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when buying a property in Esher?
Unless a previous purchase of the property took place post 12 October 2013 you could expect lawyers delivering conveyancing in Esher to remain encouraging a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I was recommended by a few estate agents in Esher to get a quote from a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to promote your site over and above a competitor’s?
We don’t make any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission as a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
Am I better off to go with a Esher conveyancing practitioner based in the area that I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can handle the conveyancing but his firm is located 400miles away.
The primary upside of using a high street Esher conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to sign paperwork, present your ID and pester them where appropriate. Having local Esher know how is a bonus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have used your friend and they were happy that should surpass using an unknown Esher conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being round the corner.