My partner and I are hoping to buy a flat in Flackwell Heath and are in fact using a Flackwell Heath conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Coventry Building Society have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Flackwell Heath lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?

If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is normal 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 property lawyer should contact your mortgage company 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 and you may continue to use your own Flackwell Heath solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

I require conveyancing for an apartment in a relatively new development (6 years old) in Flackwell Heath. 95% of the flats have already been disposed of. Is it strictly necessary to order conveyancing searches for my conveyancing in Flackwell Heath?

If you are acquiring a property with the assistance of a mortgage, your mortgage company will need some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Flackwell Heath conveyancing searches are for you to decide upon. No doubt your conveyancer, will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have the searches done, but he or she is duty bound in this regard. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you demand that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or you will need to switch to another solicitor for your conveyancing in Flackwell Heath.

We are purchasing a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Flackwell Heath. We would like to an extension at the rear at the house.Will legal investigations on the property include checks to see if these alterations are permitted?

Your conveyancer will review the deeds as conveyancing in Flackwell Heath can sometimes identify restrictions in the title deeds which prevent certain alterations or necessitated the permission of a 3rd party. Certain extensions need local authority planning consent and approval under the building regulations. Certain locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

When it comes to lenders such as UBS, do Flackwell Heath conveyancers face a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any bank fees to register on their panel, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

We were going to get a DIP from Clydesdale this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Clydesdale recommend any Flackwell Heath solicitors on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Flackwell Heath solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Clydesdale through the process.

I am 17 days into a leasehold purchase having been referred to solicitors by the high street agent to perform conveyancing in Flackwell Heath. I am not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?

A conveyancer would have to be very poor in order to consider replacing them. Has the loan offer been generated? If so you need to advise them of the new conveyancer and ensure the mortgage documents are re-sent. Your solicitor ideally should be on the mortgage company panel to avoid added fees and frustration. That should be your starting point. The find a solicitor tool can assist you in finding a bank approved conveyancer for your conveyancing in Flackwell Heath

Been reading online that Flackwell Heath solicitors are more expensive than licensed conveyancers in Flackwell Heath when it comes to buying a property. So is it better if I use a conveyancer or a solicitor if I am purchasing a property in Flackwell Heath.

When it comes to conveyancing in Flackwell Heath the costs are unlikely to vary dramatically depending on whether the legal expert is a licenced conveyancer or solicitor.