I am nearing exchange of contracts for my ground floor flat in Lavenham and the EA has just telephoned to advise that the purchasers are swapping conveyancer. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a leading mortgage company only engage with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Lavenham ?
UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.
Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
Can you vouch for a Yorkshire Building Society allowed Lavenham conveyancing solicitor finish our house move within under 3 weeks? Would it be better to use a high street Lavenham practice or a nationwide conveyancer?
We would be happy to suggest some excellent Lavenham conveyancing firms. You can also walk up the high street in Lavenham. Go in to two or three law practices and request to see a conveyancing solicitor for a costs illustration. Mention your requirements together with the reasons and get a commitment on your deadline. Appoint the lawyer that genuine.
What is your number one tip for finding a conveyancing solicitor in Lavenham
Do not opt for the lowest Lavenham conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.
I am the only beneficiary of my late grandmother’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Lavenham. The Lavenham property was put into my name in May. I now wish to sell up. I do know about the CML six month 'rule', meaning my property ownership may be treated the same way as though I had purchased the property in May. Will no one buy the property for half a year?
The CML handbook mandates conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be caught by that. Most mortgage companies would take a pragmatic view as this requirement primarily exists to pick up on the purchase and immediately sell or the flipping of properties.
My offer was accepted on a property in Lavenham on 28/4/2025, valuation was booked 4 days after, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to UBS and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel. Are UBS 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 UBS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the UBS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I used Arc property Solicitors several years past for my conveyancing in Lavenham. Now, I need my files but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate 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 Lavenham 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.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one close by in Lavenham I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Lavenham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be an issue. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
How easy is it to use your search tool to select a conveyancing lawyer in Lavenham on the authorised to act for my lender?
Step one is to select a bank such as Accord Mortgages Ltd, Virgin Money or Aldermore then type in your location for instance Lavenham. Conveyancing organisations in Lavenham and beyond will then be shown.