Find a Lender-Approved Local Conveyancer in Downham

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Cheap conveyancing in Downham does not necessarily mean low quality - but the odds are stacked against you

Reasons to use our Downham conveyancing solicitors

  • 1 Personal touch and pure property local knowledge are key benefits that you should value when selecting conveyancing solicitors. Downham home moves can be made significantly more protracted as a result of poor communication between all the parties. The lawyers we work with endeavour to make sure that communication channels are open and act on arising issues and developments expeditiously.
  • 2 The firms listed on our directory have a mix of conveyancing solicitors, legal executives and support staff handling thousands of conveyancing matters each year.
  • 3 Downham conveyancers will be familiar with the local Land Registry Office, Local Authority and selling agents
  • 4 Downham property lawyers work in partnership with Downham estate agents, property finders, surveyors, mortgage companies and other professionals to make sure that the highest level of service is provided to buyers and sellers every step of the way, ensuring the smoothest, most stress-free process possible
  • 5 The Downham conveyancing firms that are listed are committed to supplying the most cost, efficient and accessible conveyancing service to borrowers, sellers and remortgagors in Downham

Examples of recent conveyancing in Downham since January 2025*

Sale

of terraced premises, Hazelbank Road, SE6 1LS completing on 24/01/2025 at a price of £700,000. The legal transfer of property incorporates some of the following tasks: drafting the sale agreement and Transfer, agreeing completion date with parties, sending title deeds and executed transfer to purchaser’s lawyers

Sale

of semi premises, Plaistow Grove, BR1 3PB completing on 22/01/2025 at a price of £615,000. The legal transfer of property included amongst the various tasks: dealing with appropriate requisitions and enquiries, sending the transfer to the vendor for signature in readiness for completion, preparing statement detailing charges

Disposal

of detached residence residence, Grove Park Road, SE9 4NS completing on 24/01/2025 at a price of £970,000. The legal transfer of property incorporates some of the following tasks: drafting the sale agreement and Transfer, securing official copies of the title, agreeing completion date with parties

Disposal

of terraced residence, Gwydyr Road, BR2 0EX completing on 27/01/2025 at a price of £450,000. The legal transfer of property included amongst the various tasks: dealing with appropriate requisitions and enquiries, taking formal instructions from and updating the seller client, ordering official copies of the title

Recently asked questions about conveyancing in Downham

I am progressing with the sale of my ground floor flat in Downham and the EA has just telephoned to say that the buyers are swapping conveyancer. The reason given is that the lender will only work with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Downham ?

UK lenders have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in the past few years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.

Lenders point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to disclose 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. Some 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. The buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

It is a dozen years since I purchased my home in Downham. Conveyancing solicitors have now been retained on the sale but I can't track down my title documents. Is this a problem?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be retained by your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who handled your purchase. Secondly in most cases the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Downham involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Downham. My lender is Virgin

Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 22/4/2025, the requirements read as follows :

A relative advised me that where I am buying in Downham I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Downham conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Downham around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Downham Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Downham Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Downham.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Downham?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Downham. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

We expect to complete the sale of our £375,000 garden flat in Downham in six days. The freeholder has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Downham?

Downham conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not necessitates the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address such questions the majority will be content to assist. They may levy a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

Following months of correspondence we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Downham. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

Where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the price.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Downham premises is Ravensbourne Lodge 4 Highland Road in February 2013. the Tribunal held that the amount payable for the freehold was £22,268

Last updated

Sample of conveyancing solicitors in Downham regulated by the SRA

It is important to note that the listed firms do not limit their work for conveyancing in Downham but also conveyancing throughout England and Wales.

  • Grand & Machyle Solicitors, 499 Bromley Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 4PQ
  • Wellers Law Group Llp, Tenison House, Tweedy Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 3NF
  • Wellers Staff Ltd, Tenison House, Tweedy Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 3NF
  • Raw & Co, 1 Dura Den Close, Beckenham Place Park, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 5BU
  • Judge And Priestley Llp, Justin House, 6 West Street, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1JN

Residential Landlord and Tenant Conveyancing solicitors in Downham

The list below is a small selection of solicitors in Downham practicing in landlord and tenant law and on the regulations governing different types of tenancies. This could include advice on Leasehold Valuation Tribunal proceedings

  • Grand & Machyle Solicitors, 499 Bromley Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 4PQ
  • Wellers Law Group Llp, Tenison House, Tweedy Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 3NF
  • Wellers Staff Ltd, Tenison House, Tweedy Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 3NF
  • Raw & Co, 1 Dura Den Close, Beckenham Place Park, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 5BU
  • J & P Credit Solutions Limited, Justin House, 6 West Street, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1JN

Planning law solicitors in Downham regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

The firms listed below are a small selection of solicitors in Downham specialising in planning law. The solicitors can give expert legal advice on all aspects of planning, including tree preservation orders
  • Wellers Law Group Llp, Tenison House, Tweedy Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 3NF
  • Batchelors, Charles House, 35 Widmore Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1RW
  • A E Short, 144 Bromley Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 6PG
  • Beverley Morris & Co Incorporating Peter Egan & Co, 62 Lewisham High Street, London, London, SE13 5JH
  • Beverley Morris & Co, 35 Montpelier Vale, Blackheath Villiage, London, SE3 0TJ

*Source acknowledgement: House price data produced by Land Registry as well data supplied by Lexsure Ltd.

© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of Land Registry under delegated authority from the Controller of HMSO.