My partner and I are looking to purchase a flat in Thame and have instructed a Thame conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Leeds Building Society have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Thame solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Thame solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Do the conveyancing solicitors identified via your search tool handle attended exchange conveyancing in Thame?
We do have a number of conveyancing experts who can conduct attended exchanges. Do contact us to get a conveyancing quote and details as to availability.
I am helping my mother sell her house in Thame. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange the energy performance certificate or should I organise this?
After the demise of Home Information Packs, energy assessments remained a required component of selling a property. An energy assessment needs to be commissioned before the property is marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that conveyancers normally arrange. Where you are using a Thame conveyancing lawyer they might be willing to arrange EPC’s due to their relationships with long established Thame energy assessors
We previously appointed conveyancing lawyers located in Thame on the Barclays solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me a supplemental amount for handling the Barclays mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Barclays?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your lawyer is entitled to charge a fee for this. The fee is not set by Barclays but by your Thame lawyer. Some firms on the Barclays panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but many firms include it on their overall fee.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Thame on 19/6/2025, valuation was booked 3 days later, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer instructed, so the only thing outstanding 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.
What will a local search reveal about the property my wife and I buying in Thame?
Thame conveyancing often commences with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations such as Searchflow The local search is essential in every Thame conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search should supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject areas.
Am I right to be suspicious by 3rd parties that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a national conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Thame conveyancing firm?
As is the case with many service providers, often input from relatives can be extremely useful or valuable. But there are many people with a vested interest in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, mortgage brokers and banks might all suggest solicitors to retain. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there might be a financial incentive behind the endorsement. You have the right to appoint your own conveyancer. However, bear in mind that most banks specify a panel list of lawyers you must use for the mortgage related work in your home move.
As co-executor for the estate of my grandfather I am disposing of a property in Neath but I am based in Thame. My solicitor (who is 250 kilometers from meneeds me to execute a statutory declaration prior to completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Thame to witness this legal document for me?
Technically speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Thame based