We are buying a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in Northfield who is on the Principality approved panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Principality . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Northfield.

I am mortgaging my apartment in Northfield, does my lawyer need to be on the RBS Solicitor panel?

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but RBS will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Northfield. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their conveyancer. I paid an advanced payment of £200. Not long after, the property lawyer contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Leeds Building Society panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I had an offer accepted on a house in Northfield on 15/10/2025, valuation was booked 2 days later, all came back fine. Conveyancer instructed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Virgin Money and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Are Virgin Money entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Virgin Money to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

HSBC have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a flat in Northfield has been accepted, what happens next?

The property agent will want to be informed of your conveyancing practitioner's details (make sure the conveyancing practitioners are on the bank’s approved list). Telephone HSBC or your broker and finalise any outstanding documentation. HSBC will instruct a valuer who will get in contact with the selling agent or vendor to schedule an appointment. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes approximately ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. HSBC will send the offer to you and your conveyancing practitioners. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Northfield.

Have completed on a a semi-detached house in Northfield , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to deal with the formalities evidencing the transfer to my name? My Northfield conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to check the registration is concluded.

There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Northfield registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timeframes can adjust subject to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry communicate with any third parties. As of today roughly 80% of submission are fully dealt with within two weeks but occasionally there can be longer hold-ups. Registration takes place after the new owner is living at the property so 'speed' is not always primary concern yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer could speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.

I'm buying my first flat in Northfield with a loan from Birmingham Midshires. The sellers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The house builders rep told me not reveal to my lawyer about the deal as it would adversely affect my mortgage with Birmingham Midshires. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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.