Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Penge is not listed on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of her work?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should contact the Penge conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
We were just about to exchange contracts for a semi detached house in Penge. We encountered a snag. Our mortgage offer with Platform Home Loans Ltd expires on 23/2/2026 but the sellers are putting forward a completion date of 25/2/2026. Is it possible to extend the loan expiry date?
The best person to address this question is your conveyancer who will determine if they corresponding with the mortgage broker, seller’s representatives, estate agents or possibly all parties based on the history of your conveyancing to date.
We wanted to use a property lawyer in Penge for our house purchase. Our broker informed us that our mortgage lenders Accord Mortgages Ltd won't deal with them. Surely this is unduly restrictive?
A lender will direct that a panel conveyancer act for it. Borrowers are expected to meet the cost of this. Do use our search facility to choose a solicitor to conduct conveyancing in Penge on the Accord Mortgages Ltd approved list of solicitors.
A friend pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Penge there could be a number of restrictions prohibiting external alterations to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of anumerous of properties in Penge which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Penge should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
My husband and I have organised a further advance on our home loan from Barclays as we wish to conduct a loft conversion to our property in Penge. Are we obliged to select a high street Penge solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel to handle the legals?
Barclays would not normally instruct a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Barclays conveyancing panel.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Penge. I have a mortgage offer with Principality. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Principality, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Principality conveyancing panel.
I bought my house on 6 September and the transaction details are still not on the land registry website. Need I be worried? My conveyancing solicitor in Penge expressed confidence that it should be dealt with in a couple of weeks. Are transfers in Penge particularly slow to register?
There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Penge registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can differ depending on who lodges the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry have to notify any interested parties. As of today approximately three quarters of such applications are completed within two weeks but some can be subject to protracted hold-ups. Historically registration occurs once the buyer has moved in to the premises therefore post completion formalities is not typically primary concern yet where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.
I decided to have a survey carried out on a house in Penge ahead of retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. The surveyor advised that some mortgage companies will refuse to grant a loan on a flying freehold house.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can investigate further via the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Penge. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.