I am in the process of selling my maisonette in Redhill and the EA has just telephoned to warn that the purchasers are switching property lawyer. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only deal with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major mortgage company only deal with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Redhill ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for more than 15 years.

Lending institutions justify this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that 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.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Nationwide, do Redhill property lawyers incur a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?

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

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Redhill off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Nottingham. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Nottingham, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Nottingham conveyancing panel.

My sealed bid on a property in Redhill has been agreed to, the sellers do however have an associated purchase. The sellers have placed an offer on a flat, however it’s not yet tied up, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have selected a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Redhill. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage application with Santander going?

It is usual to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (home loan application is in the region of one thousand pounds, then survey, Redhill conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to check that your conveyancer is on the Santander approved list. Regarding the subsequent stages this very much dictated by the circumstances of your case, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. In a hot market many buyers will apply for the mortgage with Santander and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their lawyer to move forward with the conveyancing in Redhill.

How do I locate a Redhill solicitor on the Nottingham Building Society conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am willing to travel upto 25kilometers to meet the solicitor.

You can use the tool on this page. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of Redhill conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have listed some Redhill conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can ring them to verify whether they are on the Nottingham Building Society panel

In my capacity as executor for the will of my father I am disposing of a property in Swansea but I am based in Redhill. My lawyer (approximately 260 kilometers awayrequires that I sign a stat dec ahead of the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Redhill who can attest this legal document for me?

strictly speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Redhill based

What are the differing property related services that Redhill conveyancing practices handle?

Most Redhill conveyancing practices manage to carry out various assistance to domestic and rural land owners, sellers, first time buyers, freeholders and tenants and you can expect them to do some of the following services:

Residential sale conveyancing in Redhill and elsewhere in the country House purchase conveyancing in Redhill and throughout England and Wales Right to Buy from your local council Transferring equity e.g. transfer of an interest in a property Assisted buying schemes - Help to Buy conveyancing Grant and Assignment of Leases