As someone not used to the Whitley Bay conveyancing process what’s your top tip you can impart concerning the ownership transfer in Whitley Bay
Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Whitley Bay and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of room for conflict between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. For instance, the vendor, selling agent and even potentially your mortgage company. Appointing a lawyer for your conveyancing in Whitley Bay should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE party in the transaction whose interest is to act in your best interests and to keep you safe.
We are witnessing a definite increase in the "blame" culture- someone has to be at fault for the process taking so long. You should always trust your lawyer ahead of the other players in the home moving process.
We previously selected conveyancers based in Whitley Bay on the Santander solicitor panel. They are now charging me a supplemental charge for handling the Santander mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Santander?
Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your lawyer may charge a fee for this. The fee is not set by Santander but by your Whitley Bay conveyancing practitioner. Some firms on the Santander panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but plenty of firms include it on their overall fee.
How can we know in advance if a Whitley Bay conveyancing solicitor on the Santander panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Whitley Bay seeking recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advise that you speak with the lawyer handling your conveyancing.
I had an offer accepted on a house in Whitley Bay on 19/12/2025, valuation was booked five days later, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer appointed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Co-operative and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Are Co-operative entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
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 Co-operative to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Whitley Bay ahead of appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will refuse to issue a loan on such a property.
It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you contact us we can look into this further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Whitley Bay. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Whitley Bay especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Whitley Bay.
I am 14 days into a freehold purchase having been referred to conveyancers by the local agent to handle our conveyancing in Whitley Bay. I am not happy. Can you help me find new solicitors?
A conveyancer would need to be really bad to suggest replacing them. Has your mortgage offer been issued? In the event that it has you must inform them of the new contact details and have the loan are issued to the new lawyers. The conveyancer should be on the banks approved list to avoid escalating charges and frustration. So that should be your first question of the new solicitors. The find a solicitor tool should assist you in finding a lender approved solicitor for your conveyancing in Whitley Bay
What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Whitley Bay conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Whitley Bay conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Whitley Bay conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be helpful:
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How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?
Leasehold Conveyancing in Whitley Bay - A selection of Questions you should ask before buying
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Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that could add a premium to the maintenance fees? What prohibitions are there in the Whitley Bay Lease? Many Whitley Bay leasehold flats will incur a service bill for maintenance of the block levied by the landlord. Should you purchase the flat you will have to meet this amount, normally quarterly during the year. This can vary from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. In all probability there will be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a exorbitant amount, say approximately £25-£75 but you should to check it because occasionally it could be many hundreds of pounds.
My fiance and I yesterday found out that one of the partners of the firm undertaking the purchase conveyancing in Whitley Bay is a relative of the seller. Is this permitted?
On the basis that there is no conflict of interest this is permitted. If you are requiring mortgage finance then the bank may have a say as many banks have specific instructions on this. For example for RBS- First Active as of 3/2/2026, the requirements read as follows :