I am purchasing a house without a mortgage in Saffron Walden. I have lived for the last 15 years in Saffron Walden. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. As I have knowledge of the road and vicinity intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?
In the absence of a mortgage, then all but one or two of the Saffron Walden conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your lawyer will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches done, but he has a professional duty to do this. Do consider; if you are intend to sell the house at a future date, it will be of relevance to your prospective buyer what the searches disclose. Sometimes premises with no practical issues can still throw up unpredicted search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Saffron Walden should provide you some sensible guidance here.
Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Saffron Walden. My lender is The Mortgage Works
The Mortgage Works have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 24/4/2025, the requirements read as follows :
I can see plenty of here concerning conveyancing in Saffron Walden but what is your top tip for choosing the right conveyancer in Saffron Walden
It would be unwise to be tempted by the lowest Saffron Walden conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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 advance.
Can you help - my lawyer advises that defective lease insurance is required on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Saffron Walden?
The appropriate level of defective lease indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between HSBC Bank and Chelsea Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.
We were going to get a AIP from Virgin Money 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 Virgin Money recommend any Saffron Walden solicitors on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Saffron Walden solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Virgin Money through the process.
I'm purchasing a new build house in Saffron Walden benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not reveal to my lawyer about the side-deal as it could jeopardize my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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.
How straightforward is it to use the search tool to locate a conveyancing solicitor in Saffron Walden on the approved list for my mortgage?
Step one is to pick a lender such as Barclays , Barnsley Building Society or Platform Home Loans Ltd then specify your preferred area such as Saffron Walden. Conveyancing firms in Saffron Walden and beyond will then be shown.
My brother has recommend that I appoint his conveyancing solicitors in Saffron Walden. Should I choose my own conveyancer?
Much as we are happy to recommend a Saffron Walden conveyancing lawyer it’s preferable to select a conveyancing lawyer is to seek guidance from friends or family who have actually used the conveyancer you're are thinking of instructing.