Find a Law Firm
approved by Bath BS

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the Bath Building Society conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Bath Building Society

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Bath Building Society conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked.

The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.

The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Bath Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

No. There is no CML Part 2 or Building Society Association requirement relating to online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor but Bath Building Society will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with two solicitors involved, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Bath Building Society your lawyer must to check the Bath Building Society conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for Bath Building Society . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Bath Building Society where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. Requirements for Scotland are due in the near future.

Bath Building Society must be informed of your intention in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Bath Building Society’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Bath Building Society directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Bath Building Society conveyancing panel firm.

Bath Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bath Building Society 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller. or Your 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 postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Bath Building Society you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.