Is the fact that my solicitor in Wallington is not listed on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?
That is more than likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are plenty of plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume 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. If you are concerned you should simply call the Wallington conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
It is is a decade since I acquired my home in Wallington. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been appointed on the sale but I can't locate the deeds. Is this a problem?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by the mortgage company or they may stored with the lawyers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring current official copies of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Wallington relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
About to place a bid on a leasehold property in Wallington. The estate agents tell me that it is the norm for flats in Wallington to have less than 75 years remaining. I am obtaining a mortgage with Chelsea Building Society. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has 70 years to go.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Chelsea Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 2/7/2025 the requirements read as follows :
Will our solicitor be making enquiries concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Wallington.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Wallington. Plenty of people will buy a house in Wallington, fully expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.
Solicitors are not qualified to give advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that can be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better understanding of the risks in Wallington. The standard property information forms given to a buyer’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual question of the vendor to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not disclosed by the seller, then a buyer may bring a legal claim for losses resulting from an inaccurate response. A purchaser’s lawyers will also conduct an enviro report. This will reveal whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further investigations will need to be carried out.
How does conveyancing in Wallington differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Wallington come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because builders in Wallington tend to purchase the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Wallington or who has acted in the same development.
I bought a property in Wallington last 4/4/2024 and to date it is still not registered with HM Land Registry. It was part of a new estate and my conveyancing practitioner told me that it may take twelve months to register. I have called HMLR directly and they say that the original application was cancelled due to failure to reply to requisitions. Should I be concerned?
It is your solicitor that you should get in touch with in order to satisfy any issues which have been raised as part of the registration process for your Wallington property. Normal Wallington conveyancing practice includes an undertaking on the part of the previous owner’s conveyancing practitioner that they will help resolve any question raised by HMLR so it may be a case of taking action to enforce that undertaking if necessary.