I am selling my house in Reading and the estate agent has just text me to advise that the purchasers are swapping law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only engage with solicitors on their approved list. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Reading ?
UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.
Lenders blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.
We are soon to exchange on the purchase of a house in Reading but as a result of damage from some water damage at the property I have managed to agree recompense from the current proprietors in the sum of £2k taking the form of a deduction in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of a side agreement however Barclays will not permit this. Should they have been notified?
The lawyer that is on a Barclays approved list is duty bound to advise Barclays of any variations to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyer to report the reduction to Barclays then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Barclays and you would have to appoint a new conveyancer for your conveyancing in Reading.
There are a variety of conveyancing solicitors in Reading but how do I know who I should use?
It would be unwise to be tempted by the lowest Reading conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
I am assisting my aunt sell her property in Reading. Does the solicitor order the EPC or it is for the owner to coordinate?
Following the demise of Home Information Packs, EPC’s remained a required part of selling a house. An energy assessment needs to be to hand prior to the property being advertised. It is not something that lawyers normally arrange. If you are instructing a Reading conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange energy performance certificates given their contacts with reputable Reading providers
My offer was accepted on a house in Reading on 28/7/2025, valuation was booked 3 days later, all came back fine. Conveyancer appointed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Clydesdale and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Clydesdale to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I require quick conveyancing in Reading as I am faced with pressure to sign on the dotted line inside 4 weeks. A mortgage is not required. Is it possible to decline from having conveyancing searches to save money and time?
If.Given you are are a cash purchaser you have the choice not to do searches although no conveyancer would advise that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Reading the following are instances of issues that can appear and therefore affect market value: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Fees, Outstanding Grants, Unadopted Roads,...
What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Reading conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Reading conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you speak with two or three firms including non Reading conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be helpful:
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What are the costs for lease extension work? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Reading, conveyancing formalities finalised 9 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable properties in Reading with a long lease are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2082
With only 57 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as costs.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.
Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in Reading.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated however I have recently received a yearly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
It best that you discharge the invoice as normal as all rents and service invoices should be allottedas part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process