Me and my fiance are hoping to buy a 1 bedroom flat in Horsforth with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Horsforth solicitor, however the bank says he's not on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to appoint one of the bank panel firms or keep our Horsforth conveyancing practitioner as well as pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We regard this is inequitable; are we not able to require that the lender use our Horsforth property lawyer ?
Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Horsforth conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
About to place an offer on a leasehold apartment in Horsforth. The property agents say that it is standard for flats in Horsforth to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am expecting a loan with Virgin. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has 72 years to go.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 13/5/2025 the requirements read as follows :
Does a directory service exist listing Principality panel conveyancers in Horsforth on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?
Unfortunately not yet. There is no such directory service on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. A small selection of lending institutions make their panel listings available over the internet. Where you are seeking to appoint a Horsforth conveyancer on the Principality please use our tool.
I'm in the process of viewing houses in Horsforth and I am about to put in an offer. Is it best to have a solicitor on ‘stand by’? I am planning to take a mortgage with Nationwide.
It would be sensible to instigate your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the selling agent. Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Nationwide, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
The mortgage over my property is with Yorkshire BS for my property in Horsforth. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Yorkshire BS?
Your original mortgage agreement with Yorkshire BS will provide that you need their approval before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Yorkshire BS’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Yorkshire BS directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel lawyer.
I am planning on selling our property in Horsforth and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers instructed a national conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Horsforth. We have lived in Horsforth for 5 years we know of no issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to obtain confirmation that the buyers are looking for.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)
I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Horsforth. Now, I need the documents however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Horsforth of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How do I use your search tool to locate a conveyancing solicitor in Horsforth on the authorised to act for my mortgage?
Step one is to choose a bank such as National Westminster Bank, Leeds Building Society or Aldermore then specify your location for example Horsforth. Conveyancing organisations in Horsforth and across England and Wales will then be shown.