I am purchasing property in Ravensthorpe. My Solicitor is not listed on the bank conveyancing panel. Am I still permitted to use my Ravensthorpe conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the bank list of approved lawyers?
You have a couple of choices open to you here
- Carry on with your existing Ravensthorpe lawyer but your bank will need to appoint a solicitor from their approved panel. The net result is additional charges together with potential frustration.
- Get a new lawyer to conduct the conveyancing, ensuring that they are on the bank conveyancing panel.
- Convince your property lawyer to apply to join the lender panel
What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Ravensthorpe? What am I being asked for?
Ravensthorpe conveyancing solicitors and indeed property practitioners throughout the UK have an obligation under money laundering regulations to check the identity of any client in order to ensure that clients are who they say they are.
Conveyancing clients are required to disclose two forms of certified identification; proof of ID (usually a Passport or Driving Licence) and evidence of address (usually a Bank Statement less than 3 months old).
Confirmation of source of monies is also required in accordance with the money laundering regulations as conveyancers are duty bound to ensure that the monies you are using to purchase a property (be it the exchange deposit or the full purchase price where you are buying without a mortgage) has originated from a reputable source (such as employment savings) as opposed to the product of criminal activity.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Ravensthorpe. My lender is Tesco Bank
Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 17/9/2025, the requirements read as follows :
We previously instructed solicitors locally in Ravensthorpe on the Co-operative solicitor approved list. They are now charging me a supplemental amount for handling the Co-operative mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Co-operative?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitor can charge a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Co-operative but by your Ravensthorpe lawyer. Some firms on the Co-operative panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Ravensthorpe. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
I have finally had an offer on an apartment in Ravensthorpe agreed to, the owners do however have an associated purchase. The vendors have put an offer on a flat, but it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other apartments booked. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Ravensthorpe. What do I do now? When do I get the mortgage application with Bank of Ireland started?
It is understandable to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is approx £1k, then survey, Ravensthorpe conveyancing search charges, etc). First, you must ensure that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Bank of Ireland approved list. Concerning the subsequent stages this very much dictated by the circumstances of your transaction, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market the majority of home buyers will apply for the mortgage with Bank of Ireland and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they ask their conveyancer to proceed with the conveyancing in Ravensthorpe.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Ravensthorpe?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Ravensthorpe. 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 am buying a new build house in Ravensthorpe with a mortgage from HSBC Bank. The sellers would not budge the amount so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The estate agent told me not reveal to my lawyer about the side-deal as it would jeopardize my mortgage with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.