I have just been advised by my mortgage broker that my Shinfield the law firm I have appointed is not on the lender Solicitor panel. How can I check?
Your first step should be to call your Shinfield conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your bank.
Why do I have to pay up front when it comes to conveyancing in Shinfield?
If you are buying a property in Shinfield your solicitor will request that you to provide them with funds to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. When the down payment is as part of the purchase price then this should be asked for shortly ahead of contracts are exchanged. Any further balance that is needed should be transferred shortly before completion.
I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Shinfield. My lender is Tesco Bank
Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 13/2/2026, the requirements read as follows :
What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Shinfield
There are many registered licenced Conveyancers in Shinfield and Solicitor practices in Shinfield offering conveyancing We would stress that the two are supervised by regulatory bodies with both specialising in the legal aspects of transferring property. They may both also handle other property legal work such as remortgage conveyancing, enfranchisement and transfer of equity conveyancing.
I am buying a property in Shinfield. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Virgin Money have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that your lender is Virgin Money your lawyer must comply with the formal instructions set out in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Virgin Money. The CML Handbook includes minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Virgin Money where a lease does not satisfy these specifications. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not limited to Shinfield.
Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Shinfield solicitor - who is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Virgin Money will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Virgin Money will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Shinfield postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Shinfield.
I have a terraced Georgian house in Shinfield. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Coventry Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Shinfield and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the position with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the work.