I am 4 weeks into the sale of my ground floor flat in Ashington and the estate agent has just text me to say that the buyers are appointing a new solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a major mortgage company only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Ashington ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to disclose 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. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

Are all Ashington Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Nottingham conveyancing panel?

It is true that some banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to join their approved list of firms.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Ashington. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Aldermore have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Aldermore your lawyer must check the formal instructions contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Aldermore. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook includes minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Aldermore where a lease does not satisfy these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Ashington.

HSBC have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a house in Ashington has been agreed to, what are the next steps?

The estate agent will want to be informed of your conveyancer's details (be sure the conveyancers are on the lender’s approved list). Contact HSBC or the broker and finish off any outstanding documentation. HSBC will sellect a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or vendor to schedule a slot for the valuation to happen. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. HSBC will send the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Ashington.

Will our conveyancer be raising enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Ashington.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers specialising in conveyancing in Ashington. Some people will purchase a property in Ashington, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that may be undertaken by the buyer or by their conveyancers which will figure out the risks in Ashington. The conventional set of information given to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual question of the owner to discover if the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the owner, then a buyer may commence a compensation claim as a result of such an inaccurate answer. The buyer’s solicitors should also commission an environmental search. This should disclose whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be conducted.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Ashington?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Ashington. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

Taking into account that I will soon spend 450k on a terraced house in Ashington I would like to talk to a solicitor about myconveyancing prior to giving the go ahead to the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the solicitor who will be carrying out your conveyancing in Ashington.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important person, not a file number. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are quoted for residential conveyancing in Ashington should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.