I am one month into the sale of my maisonette in Whiston and the estate agent has just e-mailed to say that the buyers are swapping conveyancer. The excuse is that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only work with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Whiston ?
Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the past few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for over 25 years.
Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that 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 sway in the decision.
We are planning to acquire a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in Whiston who is on the Clydesdale approved panel. Can you recommend a local conveyancing firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Clydesdale . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Whiston.
My property lawyer in Whiston has never been on on the Alliance & Leicester Approved Panel. Can I still continue with my prefered solicitor even though they are not on the Alliance & Leicester panel?
The limited options available to you here include:
- Carry on with your preferred Whiston lawyers but Alliance & Leicester will need to retain a conveyancer on their panel. This will inevitably rack up the overall conveyancing charges as well as cause delays.
- Get a new lawyer to to deal with the purchase, remembering to check they are Alliance & Leicester approved.
- Try to convince your Alliance & Leicester based solicitor to attempt to join the Alliance & Leicester panel
If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Whiston what would it be?
We would encourage you not to go for the cheapest Whiston conveyancing costs illustration. 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 just acquired a flat at auction in Whiston. Conveyancing is needed. What happens now?
Given that you are now legally bound yourself to purchase you must hire the services of a conveyancing practitioner quickly as you are facing a tight a fixed date to complete the conveyancing. All auction property should have a bespoke auction pack. This will include most,if not all of the paperwork that your lawyer will need. In the case of leasehold premises the auction papers may contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork relating to a leasehold property. You should hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor as soon as possible. You also need to ensure that you have funds organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.
Having digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Whiston solicitor - who is on the Skipton conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Skipton will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Skipton will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Whiston postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Skipton, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Whiston.
Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that may impact a commercial premises in Whiston?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Whiston will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Whiston. The report sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Whiston.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Whiston it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately may cause delays to Whiston commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Whiston.
How does conveyancing in Whiston differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Whiston approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because builders in Whiston usually purchase the site, 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 conveyancers 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 Whiston or who has acted in the same development.