I am in a contract race with another prospective purchaser for a property in Stoke Gifford. What can be done to accelerate the conveyancing process?
First, If you are under time constraints to sign contracts it is advisable to make sure that your conveyancer is familiar with the area as they will make use of local relationships and knowledge. It is even conceivable that they could have conducted otherhouses in the same neighbourhood. You would be best advised to use a Stoke Gifford conveyancing solicitor. In addition, check that the conveyancing firm is on the lender panel. It is estimated that 18% of Stoke Gifford conveyancing deals are frustrated or jeopardised after discovering a buyer’s solicitor was not on their mortgage lender’s member panel. In many cases this discovery resulted in the home move being frustrated by as much as three weeks. It is understood that this issue impacts approximately 100,000 home sales every year. Most Stoke Gifford conveyancing practices can not act for certain banks so do check at the outset.
Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Stoke Gifford. My lender is Accord Mortgages
Accord Mortgages have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 20/2/2026, the requirements read as follows :
There are a variety of conveyancing solicitors in Stoke Gifford but how do I know who's good?
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Stoke Gifford conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. 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.
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Stoke Gifford. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.
I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in February 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, UBS are being a right pain. The Stoke Gifford solicitor who is on the UBS conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but UBS are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do UBS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that UBS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why UBS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
My colleague suggested that if I am purchasing in Stoke Gifford I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
This is a search is usually included in the estimate for your Stoke Gifford conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Stoke Gifford around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data concerning Stoke Gifford.
I am purchasing my first flat in Stoke Gifford with a loan from Platform Home Loans Ltd. The builders would not move on the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative suggested that I not inform my conveyancer about the extras as it will affect my loan with Platform Home Loans Ltd. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
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.
I am looking for a flat up to £195,000 and found one close by in Stoke Gifford I like with open areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Stoke Gifford in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?
Should you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 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 with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.