My partner and I are looking to purchase a home in Whitefield and are in fact using a Whitefield conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Britannia have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Whitefield solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?
Where you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is usual for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Whitefield lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
I have given 8 weeks notice to my current landlord and have to be out of my rented flat in Whitefield by 29/1/2026. Conveyancing on my purchase is underway. Is it possible to complete in 5 weeks as don't want to have to find temporary accommodation?
The normal practice is not to give notice for your tenancy until exchange of contracts has taken place. Assuming that you have not already done so, notify to your solicitor and request that they apply pressure on the other solicitors, try to get a realistic time scale from them that everyone will aim to achieve
It has been three months following my purchase conveyancing in Whitefield completed. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
How does conveyancing in Whitefield differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Whitefield contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is ready to move into. This is because builders in Whitefield usually buy 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 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 Whitefield or who has acted in the same development.
I am looking into buying my first house which is in Whitefield and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Whitefield. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Whitefield area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?
Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Whitefield. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Whitefield for my home move. Is it possible to see a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
One may read documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations arising from inquisitions started on or after 1 January 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could recorded telephone calls for training requirements.