We were just about to sign contracts for a ground floor flat in Surbiton. We have hit a problem. Our mortgage offer with Coventry Building Society runs out on 11/11/2026 but the vendors are insisting on a completion date of 13/11/2026. Can one extend the mortgage offer?
The person best placed to deal with your issue is your lawyer who is in a position to calculate if he or she is should be discussing with the mortgage company, seller’s conveyancers, selling agents or indeed all parties given the circumstances your house move as of today.
Should conveyancers request money up-front when it comes to conveyancing in Surbiton?
If you are buying a property in Surbiton your solicitor will request that you put them with funds to cover the search fees. Normally this is requested to cover the fees of the conveyancing searches. When the down payment is as part of the purchase price then this will be required shortly prior to contracts are exchanged. The closing balance that is needed will be payable a couple of days prior to the day of completion.
My fiance and I wish to acquire a 2 bedroom flat in Surbiton with a homeloan from Barnsley Building Society.We have a Surbiton conveyancing practitioner but Barnsley Building Society says her practice is not listed on their "panel". We have to appoint a Barnsley Building Society panel firm or retain our local solicitor and pay for a Barnsley Building Society panel lawyer to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The home loan issued to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors needs to be on the Barnsley Building Society approved list. in the past, most banks had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Barnsley Building Society
I used Wolstenholmes a few years ago for my conveyancing in Surbiton. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Surbiton of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in Surbiton for my home move. Can I check a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
Anyone can find published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may monitor telephone calls for training purposes.
Myself and my fiance have recently had an offer agreed on a property and had an appointment on Wednesday with the Post Office for the mortgage. They advised me that when it comes to choosing a property lawyer that unless they are on their approved panel of property lawyers then we will incur an extra charge of £200. This is is due to the fact that they would then have to instruct a solicitor to act on their behalf as well as the one we select for ourselves and we are liable for their fees. I have asked the Post Office to supply me with a list so I can obtain quotes only from their approved lawyers but was told that I need to check with each individual conveyancer to see if they are on the panel. What would be the best way of going about this?
You should ask the Post Office what their panel criteria is for a solicitor.Thereafter ask the conveyancing practitioner of your choice whether they meet the criteria and have they acted on mortgages for the Post Office in the past. If the answer to those is yes, then just double check with the Post Office. Alternatively please use our search tool and we should be able to find you a conveyancer in Surbiton on the panel for the Post Office.