I am 3 weeks into the sale of my apartment in Woodhouse Eaves and the estate agent has just text me to say that the buyers are changing their solicitor. The reason given is that the bank will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named mortgage company only work with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Woodhouse Eaves ?
UK lenders have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in the last few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for many years.
Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some 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 buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
My husband and I are purchasing a purpose built apartment in Woodhouse Eaves with a homeloan from Barclays Direct.We use our Woodhouse Eaves conveyancing solicitor but Barclays Direct says his firm is not listed on their "panel". It seems we have no choice but to instruct a Barclays Direct panel solicitor or keep our high street solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that Barclays Direct use our lawyer?
No, not really. The mortgage issued to you contains terms and conditions, a common one being that solicitors will be on the Barclays Direct approved list. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Barclays Direct
Do I choose a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Woodhouse Eaves?
There are two types of lawyers who can execute conveyancing in Woodhouse Eaves namely licenced conveyancers or solicitors. The two can handle conveyancing services that you need to complete the sale or purchase of property. They are both duty bound to conduct Woodhouse Eaves conveyancing to the same standards and guidelines so you can be sure that your conveyancing will be professionally carried out and that the requisite procedures will be correctly followed.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the process as a first time purchaser of a two bedroom flat in Woodhouse Eaves. Do I receive the keys to the premises on the completion date from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will find a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Woodhouse Eaves?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will transfer the completion advance to the owner’s solicitors, and once they have received this, you should be able to receive the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this occurs early afternoon.
I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Woodhouse Eaves on 5/9/2025, valuation was booked 3 days after, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Nationwide and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Nationwide to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Nationwide 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 property in Woodhouse Eaves prior to appointing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some lenders may refuse to grant a mortgage on such a home.
It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you contact us we can investigate further with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Woodhouse Eaves. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Woodhouse Eaves especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Woodhouse Eaves.
I am using a search engine for the term conveyancing in Woodhouse Eaves it shows results of numerous property lawyersin the vicinity. How do I determine which is the suitable solicitor for the sale of my house?
The best way of seeking the right conveyancer is via trusted testimonial, so seek the counsel of colleagues and those you trust who have bought a property in Woodhouse Eaves or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Woodhouse Eaves differ, so it's a good idea to obtain at least three quotes from different law firms. Make sure that you know that the charges are guaranteed not to to be inflated.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Woodhouse Eaves conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?
When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Woodhouse Eaves conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you talk with several firms including non Woodhouse Eaves conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be useful:
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Can they put you in touch with clients in Woodhouse Eaves who can give a testimonial? If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
Woodhouse Eaves Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before buying
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It would be sensible to discover if the the lease includes any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. For example some leases prohibit pets being allowed in in a block in Woodhouse Eaves. If you like the apartmentin Woodhouse Eaves however your dog is not allowed to move with you then you have a very difficult determination. Most Woodhouse Eaves leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service bill for the upkeep of the block set by the freeholder. Where you acquire the property you will have to meet this contribution, normally quarterly accross the year. This can be anything from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. There will also be a ground rent to be met yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant sum, say about £25-£75 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it can be prohibitively expensive.