Find a Lender-Approved Local Conveyancer in Washington

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Choosing the right solicitor is the most important decision when it comes to your Washington conveyancing

Reasons to use our Washington conveyancing solicitors

  • 1 Low cost packages from online conveyancers might seem attractive. However, these companies are often located many kilometers away with limited appreciation of the factors that affect property transactions in Washington
  • 2 Notwithstanding what alternative solicitors may claim it may be important to pop into your conveyancer to sign legal papers. There are enough parties involved in a homemove without having to include Royal Mail into the equation.
  • 3 The mark of a good conveyancing solicitor in Washington is quality not quantity. The level of service offered by conveyancing "factories" (sometimes 'recommended' by national chain estate agents) often falls short of the level of professionalism you will expect.
  • 4 Lawyer conveyancing firms have excellent personal links with Washington estate agents and work very closely with them and local surveyors so as to ensure transactions proceed expeditiously.
  • 5 The companies identified on our web pages have a variation of conveyancing practitioners, legal executives and support staff handling thousands of conveyancing matters annually.

Examples of recent conveyancing in Washington since January 2024*

Recently asked questions about conveyancing in Washington

Are the Washington conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the TSB conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by TSB?

Washington conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the TSB conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from TSB directly.

We just had an offer accepted to buy with Darlington Building Society. I called into a couple of local practices but am unable to find a Washington conveyancing firm on the Darlington Building Society approved list. Please you assist?

You should take advantage of the find a conveyancing panel solicitor tool on this site. Please choose the mortgage company and type Washington or your preferred area and you will discover numerous solicitors located in Washington or nearest you.

I am being advised by my lawyer that chancel insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Washington conveyancing?

The right level of chancel indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Lloyds TSB Bank and Leeds Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.

I'm the single recipient of my late grandmother’s will with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Washington. The Washington property was put into my name in March. I want to move. I understand that there is a CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my property ownership will be considered the same way as though I had purchased the property in March. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook requires conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you might be impacted by that. many lenders would take a pragmatic view as this requirement is principally there to identify subsales or the flipping of property.

I am buying a property in Washington. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Yorkshire BS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As your lender is Yorkshire BS your lawyer must comply with the formal requirements outlined in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Yorkshire BS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook sets out minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Yorkshire BS where a lease does not comply with these conditions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Washington.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Washington?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Washington. 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 have been on the look out for a flat up to £305k and found one round the corner in Washington I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Washington suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.

We're novice buyers - agreed a price, yet the estate agent has warned us that the vendor will only move forward if we instruct the agent's recommended solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a local conveyancer used to conveyancing in Washington

It is highly unlikely the owners are behind this. If they want ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a serious buyer is not the way to achieve this. Try to communicate with the owners directly and make the point that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you do not need to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you will continue to appoint your own,trusted Washington conveyancing solicitors - not the ones that will give their negotiator at the agency a referral fee or achieve conveyancing thresholds pre-set by HQ.

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Residential Landlord and Tenant Conveyancing solicitors in Washington

The firms listed below are a small selection of solicitors in Washington practicing in landlord and tenant law and on the regulations governing different types of tenancies. This may include advice on Service charge disputes

  • Richmond Anderson Goudie Part Of The Richmond Partnership, Flake Cottages, Cone Terrace, Chester Le Street, County Durham, DH3 3TA
  • Gordon Brown Law Firm Llp, Mains House, 143 Front Street, Chester Le Street, County Durham, DH3 3AU
  • Hodgson Coulthard & Co, Glendale House, 10 Church Street, Houghton Le Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 4DN
  • John Donkin Solicitors Limited, Unit 9 Concept 2000, Sunderland Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE10 9LQ
  • Sweeney Miller Llp, Mowbray Villas, Mowbray Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 7EA

Residential Licensed Conveyancers in Washington regulated by the CLC

Please note that the listed conveyancers do not limit their work for conveyancing in Washington but also conveyancing across England and Wales.
  • Robert Woods Conveyancing Services , 576a Durham Road, NE9 6HX
  • Hastie Conveyancing, 33 Frederick Street, SR1 1LN

Planning law solicitors in Washington regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

The practices listed below are a small selection of solicitors in Washington with expertise in planning law. This should include advice on special planning controls
  • Longden Walker And Renney (solicitors) Limited, 14 John Street, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR1 1HZ
  • Ward Hadaway, Sandgate House, 102 Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 3DX

*Source acknowledgement: House price data produced by Land Registry as well data supplied by Lexsure Ltd.

© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of Land Registry under delegated authority from the Controller of HMSO.