Find a Lender-Approved Local Conveyancer in West Sussex

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Our lawyers are committed to delivering the best property conveyancing to West Sussex vendors and purchasers

Reasons to use our West Sussex conveyancing solicitors

  • 1 Solicitors that specialise in conveyancing in West Sussex are familiar with the local issues peculiar to West Sussex and therefore you may benefit from better advice and speedier conveyancing.
  • 2 Our site offers largest residential conveyancing directory service identifying bank approved property lawyers carrying out conveyancing in West Sussex regulated by the SRA or Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
  • 3 Solicitor conveyancing solicitors have excellent personal links with West Sussex estate agents and work very closely with them and local surveyors so as to ensure transactions proceed expeditiously.
  • 4 West Sussex conveyancers will acquainted with the local Land Registry Office, Local Authority and estate agents
  • 5 The organisations listed on our web pages have a mix of conveyancing solicitors, legal executives and support staff handling over one hundred thousand cases annually.

Examples of recent conveyancing in West Sussex since August 2024*

Recently asked questions about conveyancing in West Sussex

If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in West Sussex what would it be?

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the lowest West Sussex conveyancing fees. 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in West Sussex. My financial adviser suggested a solicitor. I paid an on account payment of £225. Shortly after, the lawyer contacted me to say that they were not on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Nottingham panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I had an offer accepted on a house in West Sussex on 27/9/2024, valuation was booked 3 days after, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Virgin Money and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Are Virgin Money entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Virgin Money to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

How does conveyancing in West Sussex differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in West Sussex approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because developers in West Sussex usually purchase the real estate, 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 property lawyers 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 West Sussex or who has acted in the same development.

I decided to have a survey completed on a property in West Sussex in advance of retaining lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some banks tend refuse to issue a mortgage on this type of premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different requirements from Halifax. If you contact us we can check with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in West Sussex. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in West Sussex to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

Is it simple use the search app to locate a conveyancing practitioner in West Sussex on the panel for my lender?

Step one is to pick a mortgage company such as Nationwide Building Society, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society or Bank of Ireland then choose your location a common one being West Sussex. Conveyancing organisations in West Sussex and nationally should be shown.

In sourcing the world wide web for the phrase conveyancing in West Sussex it shows results of many conveyancersin the vicinity. How do I determine which is the right conveyancing solicitor for my move?

The preferential method of seeking a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted referral, so enquire of friends and family who have acquired a property in West Sussex or the reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in West Sussex differ, so it's sensible to obtain a minimum of three fee calculations from varying types of property lawyers. Be sure to seek confirmation that the fees are fixed.

My conveyancer in West Sussex has requested from me identification documents saying that this is part of his requirements as a conveyancer on the bank Conveyancing panel. Am I being spun a yarn?

Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require West Sussex conveyancing solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identity of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing business. The Terms and Conditions that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer is right that the bank also require certain documents to be viewed. If a you refuse to provide ID verification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with the mortgage company's UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements

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What to expect from a Licensed Conveyancer for conveyancing in West Sussex?

Licensed Conveyancers specialise in the legalities surrounding acquiring and selling property and cover conveyancing nationwide not just West Sussex. When using a Licensed Conveyancer governed by the CLC, you should:
  • Receive an honest and lawful service.
  • Have a high standard of legal services.
  • Enjoy the benefit of your conveyancing dealt with using care, skill and legal know-how.
  • Have a high standard of service due to your lawyer’s arrangements, resources, procedures, skills and commitment.
  • Enjoy the benefit of a service which is accessible and responsive to your individual needs.
  • You should not consider yourself discriminated against, victimised or harassed.
  • Not receive a service which is below the level you could expect, however, if you do your lawyer accepts responsibility for this and provides you with any appropriate redress.
  • Ensure your specific needs taken into account should a complaint be necessary.
  • Have a timeous, impartial and comprehensive service when if a complaint is registered about your conveyancing in West Sussex.

Conveyancing in West Sussex is a complex business, both legally and administratively. The exact order of events varies slightly, below are some of the tasks in the process.

  • Conveyancing practitioner instructed by the purchaser on acceptance of the offer
  • Checking the title to the premises
  • Conducting West Sussex conveyancing searches with respect to the property
  • Reviewing draft sale agreement and other papers supplied by the owner’s conveyancer
  • Submitting enquiries with the seller’s conveyancer
  • Negotiating the sale contract
  • Going through replies prepared by the owner to pre-exchange enquiries
  • Negotiating a Transfer Deed for completion
  • Advising the buyer in respect of the mortgage offer: (if appropriate)
  • Preparing and sending the buyer a report on title (that is; reporting to the buyer on the contents of the contract pack, pre-contract enquiries and the result of the searches)
  • Proceeding to exchange of contracts and then completion formalities
  • Completion of and submitting to HMRC the appropriate SDLT forms and payment
  • Registering the purchase and the mortgage (if applicable) at the HM Land Registry.

Sale in West Sussex is a complex business, both legally and administratively. The exact order of events varies slightly, below are some of the tasks in the process.

  • Lawyer instructed by the vendor on acceptance of the offer
  • Collating the documents evidencing the title to the property
  • Preparing contract and associated documents
  • Submitting draft papers to the lawyer acting for the buyer
  • Finalising the wording for contracts and replying to further questions from the buyer’s lawyer
  • Agreeing the transfer deed
  • Replying to requisitions raised by the buyer’s lawyer
  • Carrying out the key stage of exchanging contracts and then completion formalities
  • Receiving sale proceeds and sending funds to the vendor, the estate agent and other relevant parties (where applicable)

*Source acknowledgement: House price data produced by Land Registry as well data supplied by Lexsure Ltd.

© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of Land Registry under delegated authority from the Controller of HMSO.