I am nearing exchange of contracts for my apartment in Warminster and the EA has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are appointing a new property lawyer. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only engage with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Warminster ?

UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the past few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Lenders attribute this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are not going to have any impact on this.

Is it possible for conveyancing in Warminster to be completed in less than 28 days?

In a situation where the seller is applying time constraints to complete we would recommend that your conveyancer is familiar with the area as they will make use of local contacts and insight. It is even conceivable that they may have handled otherproperties in the same neighbourhood. You would be best advised to use a Warminster conveyancing lawyer. In addition, make sure that the conveyancing firm is on the on the approved list for your mortgage company. It is believed that 18% of Warminster conveyancing transactions are suspended or derailed after discovering a buyer’s solicitor was not on their banks panel. In many cases this discovery resulted in the buying process being held up by as much as 21 days. It is believed that this issue impacts approximately 100,000 home moves every year. Most Warminster conveyancing firms can not represent certain mortgage companies so do check as early as possible.

As someone not used to the Warminster conveyancing process what is your top tip you can impart for the ownership transfer in Warminster

Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Warminster and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is lots of opportunity for friction between you and other parties involved in the legal transfer of property. E.g., the vendor, selling agent and on occasion your lender. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in Warminster an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the process whose interest is to protect your best interests and to protect you.

There is a distinct creep of a "blame" culture- someone must be at fault for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your lawyer above the other parties in the home moving process.

I am buying a new build flat in Warminster. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Warminster you will have to appoint a solicitor on your lender's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Warminster.

Do I stop the direct debit for my mortgage with Principality once a completion date for my sale in Warminster has been set?

No, you must keep meeting any mortgage sums to Principality until the mortgage is redeemed out of the proceeds of sale as part of your Warminster conveyancing.