My husband and I wish to acquire a 1 bedroom flat in Kettering with a mortgage from Chelsea Building Society.We like our Kettering conveyancing lawyer but Chelsea Building Society says she’s not on their approved list of firms. We have to appoint a Chelsea Building Society panel firm or retain our high street solicitor and fork out for one of their panel ones to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The loan offered to you contains various provisions, one of which will be that conveyancers needs to be on the Chelsea Building Society approved list. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of solicitors 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 solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Chelsea Building Society
When it comes to lenders such as Coventry BS, do Kettering solicitors have to pay a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any lender fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Kettering. I have a mortgage agreed with Principality. Conveyancing is new to me. 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 Principality, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Principality conveyancing panel.
My offer was accepted on a property in Kettering on 27/8/2025, valuation was booked 4 days after, all came back fine. Conveyancer retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Virgin Money and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Are Virgin Money 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 Virgin Money to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Various internet forums that I have come across warn that are the number one cause of hinderance in Kettering house deals. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the top 10 causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are not likely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Kettering.
2 months have gone by following my purchase conveyancing in Kettering concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
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At this site receive an accurate costs illustration via a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that has a full understanding of the issues of your conveyancing in Kettering. Unlike many estate agents and brokerage sites we do not have commission deals with solicitors. Many agents and online brokers 'recommend' solicitors who pay the most per referral, as opposed to the best value conveyancing in Kettering
I have been sourcing a conveyancing lawyer in Kettering for my home move. Is it possible to review a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
One may read published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor telephone calls for training reasons.