Is the fact that my conveyancer in Arley is not listed on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of his work?

That would most likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated 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 solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should contact the Arley conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.

We are about to exchange buying a house in Arley but as a consequence of wreckage from some water damage at the property I have was able negotiate reparation from the vendor of £2k taking the form of a reduction in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of the conveyancing process yet Clydesdale are not allowing this. Why were they involved?

Any lawyer being on a Clydesdale approved list is obliged to inform Clydesdale of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyer to notify the reduction to Clydesdale then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Clydesdale and you would have to appoint a new lawyer for your conveyancing in Arley.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Arley. I now require my papers however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate 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 Arley of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

How does conveyancing in Arley differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Arley contact us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is built. This is because developers in Arley 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 conveyancers 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 used to new build conveyancing in Arley or who has acted in the same development.

My wife and I have an offer in principle from National Westminster Bank who indicated we could borrow up to £117k. When do we need to instruct a solicitor for conveyancing? Arley is where we are purchasing.

You can appoint a conveyancing practitioner now so that the conveyancer can open the ledger so they can commence the ID checks etc. If and when you wish them to commence work they will seek a payment on account normally approximately £200. That should normally be after you have the loan offer from your bank and valuation back, however should you want to expedite the process you can start sooner albeit risking some money.