Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in West Thurrock is not identified on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of her conveyancing?

It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the West Thurrock conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

I am acquiring a property for cash in West Thurrock. I have lived for the last twelve years in West Thurrock. Conveyancing searches are expensive. As I know the road and vicinity very well should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

Provided that you do not need a home loan, then almost all of the West Thurrock conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your solicitor will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have searches done, but she has a professional duty to do this. Do bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house at a future date, it will likely be be of relevance to your prospective purchaser what the searches contain. There are plenty of instances where properties with apparent issues can still reveal negative search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in West Thurrock will be able to give you some sensible advice concerning this.

We are planning to move home in February. Does my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the completion day. Incidentally, can you suggest a removal company in West Thurrock. Conveyancing firm was organised prior to coming across your website.

On the day of completion you will need to collect the keys from your estate agent however this can only happen once the sellers conveyancers confirm to the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be released. You will need to inform the removal company that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a particular removal company but can help you find a residential property solicitor in West Thurrock or a lawyer with expertise in conveyancing in West Thurrock.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as UBS, do West Thurrock solicitors have to pay a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

Is it the case that all West Thurrock conveyancing solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Nationwide conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be governed by the CLC.

Do I need to be concerned that estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street West Thurrock conveyancing firm?

As with many professional services, often suggestions from family and friends can be extremely useful or valuable. Nevertheless there are lots of parties with a vested interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, financial adviser and banks may recommend solicitors to select. On occasion the lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but sometimes there behind the scenes financial incentive behind the endorsement. You are at liberty to appoint your own lawyer. However, bear in mind that most banks operate an approved list of lawyers you must use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.

I am just shy of a 10% deposit on my apartment purchase in West Thurrock , but I still want to proceed. What can I do?

You can accept a lesser deposit. Most sellers will agree to a smaller deposit or even no deposit for a first time buyer or 100% mortgage. Be aware though that if you fail to complete you will still need to hand over a minimum of 10% of the purchase price regardless of how much deposit was agreed.

You can also agree a simultaneous exchange and completion as no deposit is required for this however neither party will be tied in until completion actually takes place and it can be risky if sellers change their mind at the last minute