My fiance and I intend to purchase a purpose built flat in Kingswood with a mortgage from Chelsea Building Society.We would like to retain our Kingswood conveyancing lawyer but Chelsea Building Society says she’s not listed on their "panel". We have to appoint a Chelsea Building Society panel lawyer or retain our preferred solicitor and pay for a Chelsea Building Society panel lawyer to represent them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that Chelsea Building Society use our lawyer?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, a common one being that solicitors will be on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel. in the past, most banks 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 lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Chelsea Building Society
When it comes to lenders such as TSB, do Kingswood conveyancers incur a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any lender fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Kingswood. I have a mortgage agreed with Coventry BS. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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 Coventry BS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel.
I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Kingswood on 11/11/2025, valuation was booked 2 days after, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to HSBC and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Are HSBC entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for HSBC to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the HSBC conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
The deeds to our house are lost. The conveyancers who did the conveyancing in Kingswood 10 years ago are no longer around. Will I be able to sell the house?
Gone are the days when you need to have the physical official documentation to evidence that you own the land or property, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.
I decided to have a survey completed on a property in Kingswood prior to retaining conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. My surveyor advised that some lenders will not grant a loan on this type of home.
It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can check via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Kingswood. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in Kingswood. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, however I have recently received a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
The sensible thing to do is discharge the service charge as normal because all ground rent and maintenance charges will be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.
I bought a studio flat in Kingswood, conveyancing having been completed April 1995. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar flats in Kingswood with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2081
With just 56 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
Can you clarify the nature of conveyancing undertaken by Kingswood conveyancing firms?
The majority of Kingswood conveyancing solicitors will provide a wide spectrum of legal advice to home and land owners, sellers, purchasers, freeholders and tenants helping outwith some of the following:
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Home sale conveyancing in Kingswood or across the country
Domestic purchase conveyancing in Kingswood and throughout England and Wales
Council House Right-to-Buy Scheme Transfer of property after relationship breakdown Buying and selling of garden land Remortgaging including checking title details and obtaining the necessary searches to satisfy your bank