I am progressing with the sale of my ground floor flat in Machen and the EA has just e-mailed to advise that the purchasers are appointing a new law firm. The excuse is that the lender will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a big named mortgage company only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Machen ?
Banks have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for over 25 years.
Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. 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. 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. The purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Machen. My lender is Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 13/6/2026, the requirements read as follows :
This question may be naive but I am new to the home moving as FTB of a ground floor flat in Machen. Do I pick up the keys to the property on completion from my solicitor? If this is the case, I will find a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Machen?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the completion advance to the vendor’s lawyers, and once they have received this, you should be able to collect the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen early afternoon.
My partner and I have organised a further advance on our home loan from Bank of Ireland as we intend to conduct alterations to our house in Machen. Do we need to choose a local Machen solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?
Bank of Ireland do not ordinarily require firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Bank of Ireland panel.
I am buying a property in Machen. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Kent Reliance have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Kent Reliance your lawyer must follow the conveyancing instructions outlined in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Kent Reliance. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook includes minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Kent Reliance where a lease fails to comply with these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not restricted to Machen.
I require fast conveyancing in Machen as I am under a deadline to exchange contracts within one month. A home loan is not required. Is it possible to escape the need for conveyancing searches to save money and time?
As you are are a mortgage free buyer you have the choice not to do searches although no conveyancer would advise that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Machen the following are examples of issues that can arise and therefore impact market value: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Charges, Overdue Grants, Road Schemes,...
I have recentlyfound out that Action Conveyancing have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Machen for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 9 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?
The quickest way to see if the premises is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Machen conveyancing specialists.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Machen I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 61 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Machen in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.