Is it realistic for conveyancing in West London to be completed in under 10 days?
Where you are under a tight deadline to exchange we would recommend that your conveyancer is familiar with the location as they will make use of local contacts and know-how. It is possible that they would have handled previousproperties in the same neighbourhood. You would be best advised to use a West London conveyancing solicitor. In addition, double check that the lawyer is on the on the approved list for your mortgage company. It is understood that nearly one in five of West London conveyancing transactions are suspended or jeopardised after discovering a purchaser’s solicitor was not on their banks list of approved solicitors. This can often result in the conveyancing being delayed by an average of three weeks. It is understood that this issue impacts approximately one hundred thousand home moves annually. Many West London conveyancing practices can not act for certain lenders so do check as early as possible.
When it comes to lenders such as Nationwide, do West London lawyers have to pay an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any lender fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
We expect to receive a OIP from RBS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any West London solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint West London solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.
My offer was accepted on an apartment in West London on 9/9/2025, valuation was booked 2 days after, all came back fine. Conveyancer instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Barclays and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Are Barclays entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Barclays to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Barclays conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Should our solicitor be raising questions regarding flooding during the conveyancing in West London.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers dealing with homes in West London. There are those who buy a house in West London, fully aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.
Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that may be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in West London. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms supplied to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a standard inquiry of the owner to find out whether the premises has historically flooded. If the property has been flooded in past and is not notified by the vendor, then a buyer could issue a claim for damages as a result of such an misleading response. A purchaser’s lawyers may also conduct an enviro search. This will higlight whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further investigations should be made.
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in West London. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should contact 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 West London of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. West London is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can impart?
Flying freeholds in West London are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside West London you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in West London may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.
Should I be suspicious about third parties that I am dealing with are suggesting an internet conveyancing firm as opposed to a local West London conveyancing practice?
As is the case with lots of service providers, often input from family and friends can be very helpful. But there are lots of players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies may suggest solicitors to retain. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there is an underlying financial incentive behind the recommendation. You have the discretion to choose your own conveyancer. You need to be aware that some banks specify a panel list of solicitors you must use for the lender related work in your house move.