I am five weeks into the sale of my maisonette in Canton and the EA has just e-mailed to say that the buyers are changing their solicitor. The reason given is that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a leading lender only deal with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Canton ?
Banks have always had an approved set 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 more than 25 years.
Lenders blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened 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 being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Canton? What am I being asked for?
Canton conveyancing solicitors as well as nationwide property lawyers accross the UK have an obligation under Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules to verify the identity of any client in order to satisfy themselves that clients are who they say they are.
Conveyancing clients are required to supply two forms of certified ID; proof of ID (typically a Passport or Driving Licence) and proof of address (typically a Utility Bill less than 3 months old).
Proof of source of funds is also necessary in accordance with the money laundering laws as conveyancers have a duty to investigate that the money you are using to acquire a property (whether it be the deposit for exchange or the total purchase monies if you are a cash purchaser) has originated from legitimate source (such as an inheritance) and is not the fruits of criminal activity.
Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Canton. My lender is Platform
Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 21/10/2025, the requirements read as follows :
I'm buying my first flat in Canton with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The property agent suggested that I not disclose to my lawyer about the extras as it could affect my loan with Birmingham Midshires. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Canton I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Canton suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?
If you require a mortgage that many years will be problematic. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.
Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Canton. Before diving in I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.
Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Canton - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.
Canton Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing
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Who is in charge of the building? This question is important as a) areas could result in problems for the block as the common areas may start to deteriorate if services remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the running of the building you will wish to know about it Make sure you find out if the the lease includes any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. For instance some leases prohibit pets being allowed in certain buildings in Canton. If you love the apartmentin Canton however your cat can’t make the move with you then you have a very difficult determination.