My financial adviser says he needs my West Kensington solicitor’s panel reference for the Lloyds conveyancing panel. What is the best way to find this out. I have called my local West Kensington branch but they don't know it.
Have you tried calling your West Kensington lawyer about this?. They retain a central record lender panel numbers.
We were just about to sign contracts for a garden flat in West Kensington. We encountered a snag. The loan offer with Barclays runs out on 13/10/2025 but the sellers are putting forward a completion date of 15/10/2025. Is it possible to extend the loan expiry date?
The person best placed to deal with your issue is your conveyancer who should calculate if they corresponding with the lender, vendor’s representatives, selling agents or indeed all parties taking into account what has gone on in your house move to date.
I am in the process of remortgaging my apartment in West Kensington, does my lawyer have to be on the Santander Conveyancing panel?
In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Santander conveyancing panel, but Santander would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.
My bid for a property was accepted at auction in West Kensington. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?
Given that you have now exchanged you should appoint a conveyancing solicitor as a matter of urgency as you now have a tight deadline in which to complete the transaction. Every auction property will have a bespoke legal pack. This should include most,if not all of the documents that your lawyer will need. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the legal papers may include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation pertinent to a leasehold property. You need to pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. You also need to ensure that your finances are organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.
I'm spending time viewing apartments in West Kensington and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a lawyer in place at this point? I am planning to take a mortgage with Skipton.
It would be prudent to commence your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the EA. As you are getting a mortgage with Skipton, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel.
It is unclear whether my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local West Kensington building society branch on numerous occasions and was reassured it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My West Kensington conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they refuse to lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply don't know who is right.
Your conveyancing practitioner has to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two specifications for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
Will my lawyer be making enquiries concerning flooding during the conveyancing in West Kensington.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers conducting conveyancing in West Kensington. There are those who purchase a house in West Kensington, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.
Solicitors are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that may be undertaken by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in West Kensington. The conventional set of property information forms supplied to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual inquiry of the vendor to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. If the property has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the owner, then a purchaser could bring a claim for damages resulting from an incorrect response. The purchaser’s lawyers should also commission an environmental report. This will higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries will need to be made.
How does conveyancing in West Kensington differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in West Kensington contact us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because house builders in West Kensington usually purchase the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in West Kensington or who has acted in the same development.