We are purchasing a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in Sawston who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a local firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Bank of Ireland . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Sawston.
I am considering mortgaging my flat in Sawston, does my lawyer need to be on the Coventry BS Solicitor panel?
There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Coventry BS will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with two solicitors involved, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Sawston. I have a mortgage offer with Co-operative. 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 Co-operative, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.
My offer was accepted on an apartment in Sawston on 21/4/2026, valuation was booked 2 days later, all came back fine. Solicitor appointed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Nationwide and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Nationwide to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
My offer on a detached house in Sawston has been agreed to, the owners do however have an associated purchase. The vendors have offered on on an apartment, but it’s not yet tied up, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have selected a local conveyancing solicitor in Sawston. What do I do now? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Virgin Money?
It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (home loan application is approx one thousand pounds, then valuation, Sawston conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to check that your lawyer is on the Virgin Money approved list. As to the subsequent phase this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, desire for this property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market some purchasers would apply for the mortgage with Virgin Money and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their property lawyer to press on with the conveyancing in Sawston.
I am buying a house and the conveyancer has referenced Chancel Repair to which the house may be liable because it falls into the area of such a church. He has suggested insurance. Is this strictly necessary for conveyancing in Sawston
Unless a previous purchase of the premises took place after 12 October 2013 you can assume that solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Sawston to remain recommending a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.
Me and my brother have a terraced Georgian property in Sawston. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Britannia. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Sawston and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also check the position with the conveyancing practitioner who carried out the work.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £305k and found one near me in Sawston I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Sawston suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?
Should you need a mortgage that many years will be problematic. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.