My aunt passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in West Sussex. The house had a relatively small loan left on it of around £4500. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Aldermore, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?
Given you intend to re-mortgage then Aldermore will require that you use a conveyancer on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Aldermore conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Aldermore mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I am assisting my niece sell her flat in West Sussex. Will the conveyancing solicitor arrange an energy performance certificate or do I organise this?
After the demise of Home Packs, EPC’s remained a compulsory element of selling a house. An energy assessment must be commissioned before the property is marketed. This is not as aspect of the sale process that conveyancers ordinarily arrange. Where you are instructing a West Sussex conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange energy performance certificates due to their relationships with reputable West Sussex assessors
Is there a list of Co-operative panel solicitors in West Sussex on the Building Society Association’s Website?
No. There is no such tool on the CML or Building Society Association sites. Very few mortgage companies make their panel listings available over the internet. Where you are looking for a West Sussex solicitor on the Co-operative please use our facility.
My offer was accepted on a house in West Sussex on 28/1/2026, valuation was booked 4 days after, all came back fine. Solicitor instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Principality and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Principality conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Principality to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Principality conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
four months have gone by following my purchase conveyancing in West Sussex took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
How does conveyancing in West Sussex differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in West Sussex come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is constructed. This is because house builders in West Sussex usually buy 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 property lawyers 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 used to new build conveyancing in West Sussex or who has acted in the same development.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. West Sussex is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in West Sussex are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside West Sussex you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in West Sussex may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
My brother has recommend that I appoint his conveyancers in West Sussex. Do I take his guidance?
No doubt the ideal way to select a conveyancing practitioner is to get referrals from friends or relatives who have actually previously instructed the firm that you are contemplating using.