We are buying a 3 bedroom apartment in London with a mortgage. We have a London conveyancer, however the mortgage company advise he's not on their "panel". It seems we have little option but to select one of the bank panel conveyancing practices or keep our London conveyancing practitioner and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We regard this is unjust; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your London conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

As I am unsure how the conveyancing process works what is the most important number one tip you can impart about purchase conveyancing in London?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in London and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists plenty of opportunity for confrontation between you and other parties involved in the house moving process. For instance, the seller, property agent and even potentially a bank. Choosing a law firm for your conveyancing in London an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY person in the transaction whose responsibility is to act in your legal interests and to protect you.

On occasion a third party with a vested interest will attempt to persuade you that you should follow their advice. As an example, the estate agent may claim to be assisting by claiming that your conveyancer is slow. Or your mortgage broker may tell you to do take action that is against your lawyers guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.

I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in London. My lender is Tesco Bank

Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 17/11/2025, the requirements read as follows :

I'm buying my first flat in London with a loan from National Westminster Bank. The builders would not budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not reveal to my lawyer about the side-deal as it will impact my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

What does commercial conveyancing in London cover?

London conveyancing for business premises incorporates a broad array of guidance, offered by regulated solicitors, relating to business property. By way of example, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the assignment of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of tenancies.