I had intended to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in South East London for our home move. Our broker has since notified us that our bank The Royal Bank of Scotland won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unduly restrictive?

Banks on the whole imposes restrictions either the category or the amount of conveyancing firms on their panel. A common example of such criteria being that a law practice must not be a sole practitioner. As well as restricting the profile of firm, a few banks have reduced the amount of solicitor practices they use to represent them. You should note that The Royal Bank of Scotland have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of The Royal Bank of Scotland Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a primary driver in the reduction of solicitor panels a few years ago even though there are mixed opinions regarding the extent of solicitor engagement in some of that fraud. Figures from the Land Registry indicate that plenty of law firms, including some in or near South East London only carry out a couple conveyances a year.

A colleague informed me that in purchasing a property in South East London there may be various restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to the property. Is this right?

We are aware of a number of properties in South East London which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external changes. Part of the conveyancing in South East London should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

Can you point me to a directory of Skipton panel conveyancers in South East London on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of lenders make their panel listings viewable over the internet. Where you are in need of a South East London conveyancing practitioner on the Skipton please use our facility.

Is it the case that all South East London solicitor firms on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the SRA. Some banks do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I'm converting the mortgage on my primary home to a buy to let mortgage with Barclays Direct and I will use the ballance of the raised equity as a down payment on another house. The area we are talking about is South East London. Will your solicitors be able to act for both sets of banks and link together the two deals?

Do use our search tool on this site to be sure that the conveyancers are on the appropriate lender panels. On the basis that they are the lawyer will be able to simultaneously deal with the two conveyancing matters but you should have a chat with you lawyer and make apparent your desired outcome and needs.

In sourcing the web for the term on line conveyancing in South East London it shows results of many conveyancerslocally. How do I determine which is the right solicitor for purchase transaction?

The best method of seeking the right conveyancer is via trusted recommendation, so ask friends and relatives who have acquired a property in South East London or the reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in South East London differ, so it's advisable to obtain at least three costs illustrations from varying types of law firms. Make sure that you clarify what costs in the quote includes.

Am in the process of buying my 1st home in South East London. Conveyancing solicitor already instructed. The mortgage adviser pointed out that a survey is not needed as the house is only fifteen years old.

The bare minimum you need a Home Buyer's Report. Given the property was constructed more than a decade ago the property will be without a warranty, so you don't want to take a risk. For a property that age with no signs of problems a Home Buyer's report may be enough. The report should highlight any obvious issues and recommend further investigation if relevant. If there are any signs of material issues seek a full Building Survey from the beginning.