Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Shrivenham is not on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of her work?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should contact the Shrivenham conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
My lawyer has uncovered a a problem with the lease for the flat we are buying in Shrivenham. The seller’s lawyers have suggested defective title insurance as a solution. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our solicitor has advised that he must be satisfied that the mortgage company is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the mortgage company ?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the lender are the client. Your conveyancing practitioner must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the lender can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.
Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to have a meeting at the offices of the solicitor to execute the legal charge? If so, I will instruct a firm who offer conveyancing in Shrivenham so that I can pop in to their offices when needed.
Most conveyancing panel lawyers for mortgage companies conduct their communications through Royal Mail, e-mail or over phone calls. This means that they can undertake the conveyancing transaction no matter where you live in England or Wales. However you should check if you have the option of attending the offices of your conveyancing lawyer if just in case this is required.
If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Shrivenham what would it be?
It would be unwise to be seduced by the cheapest Shrivenham 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 ahead of time.
I'm the single beneficiary of my late grandmother’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Shrivenham. The Shrivenham property was put into my name in June. I want to move. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', which means that my property ownership may be treated the same way as if I'd bought the house in June. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook requires conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you may be impacted by that. many banks would take a pragmatic view as this provision is chiefly there to pick up on the purchase and immediately sell or the wholesaling and assigning of properties.
I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Shrivenham on 21/5/2026, valuation was booked 4 days after, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Santander and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Santander 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 Santander to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Santander conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and found one near me in Shrivenham I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it only has 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Shrivenham for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?
Should you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.
My offer on property in Shrivenham was accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have put an offer on somewhere, although it’s not yet agreed to, and has viewings of other flats booked. I have selected a local conveyancing solicitor in Shrivenham. What do I do now? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Bank of Ireland?
It is usual to have anxieties where there is a chain given your reluctance to incur expenses too early (home loan application is in the region of £1k, then valuation, Shrivenham conveyancing search fees, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your solicitor is on the Bank of Ireland approved list. As to the next phase this very much dictated by the circumstances of your case, desire for the property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market some home buyers would apply for the mortgage with Bank of Ireland and arrange for the survey and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their conveyancing practitioner to proceed with the conveyancing in Shrivenham.