It has come to my attention via my IFA that my Devizes property lawyer is not on the lender Solicitor panel. What can I do to be certain whether this is indeed the case?
The first thing you need to do is to call your Devizes lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your lender.
Are the Devizes conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the Santander conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Santander?
Devizes conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Santander conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Santander directly.
We previously chose conveyancers located in Devizes on the RBS solicitor panel. They are now charging me a further amount for the legal aspects of the RBS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by RBS?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your lawyer may levy a fee for this. This charge is not set by RBS but by your Devizes lawyer. Numerous firms on the RBS panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee but many firms include it on their overall fee.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Devizes on 28/7/2026, valuation was booked 4 days later, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to RBS and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the RBS conveyancing panel. Are RBS entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for RBS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the RBS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a Devizes conveyancing practitioner having checked that they are on the Santander conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Santander will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Santander 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 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 Devizes postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Santander, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Devizes.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Devizes is where the house is located. Is there any guidance you can give?
Flying freeholds in Devizes are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Devizes you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Devizes 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 residence.
How do I use your search facility to get a fee calculation from a conveyancing solicitor in Devizes on the approved list for my bank?
1st pick a mortgage company such as Barclays , The Mortgage Works or Aldermore then type in your location for example Devizes. Conveyancing practices in Devizes and across England and Wales will then be listed.
At long last our conveyancing in Devizes completes on Friday, however the people I am buying off wishes to move out the next day at midday. Can I agree to this?
In situations where you need a bank loan then your property lawyer will insist that the property isvacant on Friday - the lending institution will insist on it.