Last April we completed a house move in Potton. We have noticed several problems with the property which we suspect were omitted in the conveyancing searches. What action can we take? Can you clarify the nature of searches that should have been conducted for conveyancing in Potton?
The question is not clear as to the nature of the problems and if they are unique to conveyancing in Potton. Conveyancing searches and investigations undertaken as part of the buying process are designed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a seller completes a questionnaire referred to as a Seller’s Property Information Form. answers provided is inaccurate, then you may have a claim against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Potton.
When can the exchange of contracts occur in domestic conveyancing in Potton and do I need to attend the conveyancers office?
If you are local to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Potton you are welcome to attend to sign contracts. However, the law practices we work with offer a national conveyancing service and give just as detailed and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The executing of the property agreement is not the critical part. Signing on the dotted line is necessary for the conveyancer to officially exchange when the time is right, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Potton)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
I just bought a property at auction in Potton. Conveyancing is needed. What happens now?
Given that you have now legally bound yourself to purchase you should appoint a conveyancing practitioner soon as you will have a fast approaching a fixed date to complete the deal. All auction property will have an associated legal pack. This will include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. In the case of leasehold property the auction papers may provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation relating to leasehold premises. You must hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that your finances are in place to complete on the date specified in the contract.
I am expecting a OIP from Co-operative this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Co-operative recommend any Potton solicitors on the Co-operative conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Potton solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Co-operative through the process.
My offer was accepted on a property in Potton on 1/5/2026, valuation was booked 4 days after, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer appointed, so all that was missing 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. Can the lender hold off the offer?
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 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.
I am purchasing a new build house in Potton with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The property agent advised me not to tell my lawyer about the side-deal as it could jeopardize my mortgage with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
I was advised by three or four local selling agents in Potton to get a quote from a conveyancer using your seach tool. Is there a financial upside for Estate Agents to market your site over another?
We don’t give any commission for sending work in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
My partner and I are acquiring a studio flat in Potton. At the time of instructing our conveyancer, they told us that they were on all mainstream bank panels. Our financial adviser called just now to advise that they don't appear to be on the Virgin Money approved list. Should that be true, what should we do? Should we just pick a new solicitor that is on their panel or do we pay for separate representation, with Virgin Money appointing their own preferred property lawyer.
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is conventional for the purchaser’s solicitors to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a property lawyer has to be on that lender's list of approved lawyers. An application has to be made by the lawyer to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the solicitor has to meet. Some lenders now require their panel firms to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your conveyancing practitioner should call Virgin Money to discover if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on Virgin Money's conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Potton lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.