I am progressing with the sale of my home in Fulwell and the estate agent has just telephoned to warn that the buyers are swapping property lawyer. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Fulwell ?
Banks have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 25 years.
Lenders point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened 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 says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms 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. Your buyers are not going to have any impact on this.
I am under pressure from the owner of a property in Fulwell to complete within four weeks. What can I do to hasten the conveyancing process?
In the event that the seller is applying a tight deadline for your conveyancing it is advisable to make sure that your solicitor is familiar with the location as they will make use of local contacts and intelligence. It is even conceivable that they may have handled otherhouses in the same street. Therefore consider using a Fulwell conveyancing firm. In addition, ensure that the conveyancing firm is on the lender panel. It is believed that nearly one in five of Fulwell conveyancing deals are suspended or derailed after finding out that a buyer’s conveyancer was not on their banks panel. This can often result in the conveyancing being held up by as much as 21 days. It is said that this issue impacts approximately 100,000 home sales every year. Almost all Fulwell conveyancing firms can not represent certain banks so do check at the outset.
We are buying a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Fulwell. Our aim is to convert the garage to an office at the property.Will legal work on the property involve checks to determine if these alterations are allowed?
Your solicitor will check the deeds as conveyancing in Fulwell will sometimes reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prevent certain changes or need the permission of a 3rd party. Some additions call for local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Fulwell. I have a mortgage offer with RBS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with RBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the RBS conveyancing panel.
I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Fulwell on 10/2/2025, valuation was booked five days later, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor retained, 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. Are Nationwide entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
Mortgage companies tend not to 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.
How does conveyancing in Fulwell differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Fulwell approach us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because new home sellers in Fulwell usually purchase the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Fulwell or who has acted in the same development.
Given that I am about to part with over three hundred thousand on 3 bedroom house in Fulwell I wish to have a conversation with the solicitor concerning theconveyancing prior to instructing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?
We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the conveyancer who will be doing your property ownership legalities in Fulwell.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a file number. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in Fulwell should be the figure that you are charged.
Been reading online that Fulwell solicitors are more costly than Fulwell conveyancers in Fulwell when it comes to purchasing a house. Am I better off using a conveyancer or a solicitor if I am buying a property in Fulwell.
When it comes to conveyancing in Fulwell the costs are unlikely to vary dramatically depending on whether the legal expert is a licenced conveyancer or solicitor.