My fiance and I are looking to purchase a home in Earls Barton and have instructed a Earls Barton conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Chelsea Building Society have this evening contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Earls Barton solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Earls Barton lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Earls Barton? Why is this being asked of me?
It is indeed that case that these requests have nothing to do with conveyancing in Earls Barton. However these days you can not complete any conveyancing transaction without first handing over proof of your identity. This usually takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence plus a utility bill. Remember if you are providing your driving licence as proof of ID it must be both the paper section and photo card part, one is not satisfactory without the other.
Proof of your source of money is necessary in accordance with the Money Laundering Regulations. You should not be offended when when this is requested of you as your lawyer will need to retain this information on record. Your Earls Barton conveyancing practitioner will require evidence of proof of funds before they are able to accept any funds from you into their client account and they may also ask additional queries regarding the source of funds.
Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Earls Barton. My lender is Accord Mortgages
Accord Mortgages have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 10/8/2025, the requirements read as follows :
I'm converting the mortgage on my existing home to a BTL mortgage with Chelsea Building Society and intend to use the remaining equity as a down payment on further house. The area we are interested in is Earls Barton. Will your solicitors be able to act for the two mortgage companies and link together the two deals?
Make use of our comparison tool on this site to check that the solicitors are approved by both mortgage companies. Having checked that they are the solicitor will be able to tie up the two deals but you should have a chat with you solicitor and specify your desired outcome and requirements.
I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Earls Barton. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Earls Barton ?
Most houses in Earls Barton are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Earls Barton in which case you should be shopping around for a Earls Barton conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor will advise you fully on all the issues.
I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Earls Barton, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Earls Barton with an extended lease are worth £179,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2082
With just 57 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £26,600 and £30,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
We are first time buyers just having agreed a price on a property in Earls Barton, and are about to get solicitors instructed. We have utilised the various comparison based websites and the fee estimates are from all over the the UK. Is it important to have a Earls Barton conveyancer local to our prospective house? We are content to do everything electronically, but I assume at some point we will be required to attend the conveyancer's office to sign papers?
There is no need to physically visit the office of your lawyer, they can send any relevant papers to you, which you can sign and return. Many home movers choose to use a locally based solicitor, but it's by no means a prerequisite for conveyancing in Earls Barton.