Find a Law Firm approved by Vida Homeloans

The most common options here are as follows:

1. Complete the purchase with your existing solicitors but Vida Homeloans will need to instruct a lawyer on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel. This will result in additional cost and potential delay.
2. Get a new solicitor to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel.
3. Urge your lawyer to apply to join the Vida Homeloans lender panel

Vida Homeloans and other lenders normally restrict either the type or the number of conveyancing firms on their panel. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that Vida Homeloans have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Vida Homeloans Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, Conveyancing is not their speciality? To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime; probably not.

The best course of action for you to take is to contact your lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a firm that is on the conveyancing panel for Vida Homeloans.

Lenders have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 25 years.

Lenders blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be easier to keep an eye on. 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, or have other concerns about them. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyer's case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

That would more than likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent 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. If you are concerned you should simply call the firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for Vida Homeloans.

You are best placed to get this information from your conveyancing lawyer. They should have a central record lender panel numbers including the Vida Homeloans panel reference.

Vida Homeloans's conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders associated to the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

A survey recently commissioned by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority found that three quarters of law firms had been removed from a lender panel. The top reasons in order 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. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by Vida Homeloans

The answer depends on whether you still have confidence in the said solicitors and how long it will take for the firm to be reinstated on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel You may wish to enlist the help of your broker to check with the Vida Homeloans as to how long they think it will take to get the firm to get back on the panel.

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the Vida Homeloans 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 lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Vida Homeloans

When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender.

In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitors should contact Vida Homeloans and see if they can apply for membership of the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable Vida Homeloans will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

If you haven't yet instructed a solicitor to do anything for you and have just received quotes, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer you're considering.

Vida Homeloans conveyancing requirements for their panel are no better or no more complicated than most lenders. It is the case now the CML Handbook, the "bible" used by solicitors to establish lender requirements, is different for each lender. It is not clear if your lawyer is on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel. If they are not, this does add further risk of delay as Vida Homeloans will appoint their own solicitors to look after their interest.

Vida Homeloans's conveyancing panel is pretty large so your best bet is just to check with the firms you are getting quotes from whether they are on it. You can search by postcode on the search tool on this site to find solicitors that Vida Homeloans will allow to act for them.

Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identity of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing business. The Terms and Conditions that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer is right that Vida Homeloans also require certain documents to be viewed. If a you refuse to provide ID verification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with Vida Homeloans CML Handbook requirements last updated on Vida Homeloans

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. As you are taking a mortgage with Vida Homeloans your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of Vida Homeloans's conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated Vida Homeloans. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.

You should not exchange unless you have advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on the Vida Homeloans approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Vida Homeloans). The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and Vida Homeloans are the client. A precondition to being on the Vida Homeloans approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Vida Homeloans). The CML Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that Vida Homeloans can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

A precondition to being on the Vida Homeloans approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Vida Homeloans) which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender's valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

One of the many conditions to being on the Vida Homeloans approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Vida Homeloans)which states that a local authority search be not more than 6 months old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called 'search validation' indemnity insurance is acceptable to Vida Homeloans.

Any lawyer on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in Vida Homeloans's Part 2 requirements of the CML Handbook (last updated on Vida Homeloans). Being on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel your lawyer is expect to follow these requirements.

Your lawyer is obliged to check with Vida Homeloans to make sure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own funds. Your solicitor can only report this to Vida Homeloans if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

First, rest assured that your Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel solicitor is doing the right thing as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Vida Homeloans.This is solely used to protect the Vida Homeloans if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave.

It does not impact your son's right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Vida Homeloans had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

Your lawyer being on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform Vida Homeloans of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to Vida Homeloans then they would have to discontinue acting for you and Vida Homeloans.

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son's lawyer who should be on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested.

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 Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel tool on this page. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest you. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the Vida Homeloans solicitor panel.

Our service is a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Vida Homeloans. We don’t recommend any particular firm.

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.

As opposed to ten years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in.

The law firms listed on our site have advised us that they are on the Vida Homeloans panel and agreed to advise us to take down their listing in the event of removal off of the Vida Homeloans panel. To date we have not been informed by either a lender or a member of the public that the data about a specific firm being on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel is incorrect.

Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the Vida Homeloans solicitor panel.

We do not recommend specific firms as the right firm for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with local knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. We recommend that you speak to 3 or 4 lawyers listed before you make your choice..

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.

Unfortunately it's not apparent why you need a Vida Homeloans panel solicitor but in any event, if you can not find one on our search tool you will need to speak directly to Vida Homeloans to find out which solicitors in Vida Homeloans are on their panel. If you do find such a firm not listed please direct them to our site to list. After all the cost is only one £1 a month

The firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Vida Homeloans directly.

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing you will have to appoint a solicitor on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to made in you doing to conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel in your location.

First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor but Vida Homeloans 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.

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. it might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.

It very much depends from lender to lender but many of the Terms and Conditions of Conveyancing Panel Appointment require the file to be held for a period of 6 years. That being said we have not seen a copy of the Vida Homeloans Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting Vida Homeloans directly.

You can use any solicitor you like but Vida Homeloans then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the Vida Homeloans solicitors panel

The fact that your lawyer is on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancer should guarantee a time-frame for your conveyancing due to third parties outside of our control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side's solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain

This is a rare situation indeed. The majority of lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local Vida Homeloans branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can assist.

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to assist

If you intend to re-mortgage then Vida Homeloans will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Vida Homeloans mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

It is true that some banks and building societies now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.

We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their panel although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

No. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lenders make their panel listings available online.

There is generally no requirements by lenders for their firms to operate on a no-sale-no-fee basis. There a small number of lenders who operate a very restricted conveyancing panel managed by a third party company (often termed in the industry as a 'gatekeeper'). That third party may impose certain conditions such as non-sale-no fee on the panel firms. If you require this as a condition of your conveyancing then you should check with the conveyancing firm that this is part of their package

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Many lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).

Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitors can charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by Vida Homeloans but by your lawyers. Some firms on the Vida Homeloans will charge an 'acting for lender' fee and others do not.

Getting recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer handling your transaction

Vida Homeloans will only instruct Licensed Conveyancers or Solicitor firms that are on their conveyancing panel. If you want to your solicitor firm to be admitted onto the Vida Homeloansconveyancing panel they must contact Vida Homeloans direct at 'PanelApplicationQs'.

Many lenders do operate a restricted conveyancing panel but a lot of lenders allow any solicitors to join their panel so long as they meet their criteria. Each lender sets their own criteria. For example the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel requirements are different to Vida Homeloans's conveyancing panel requirements.

Vida Homeloans would not normally instruct a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with such a matter. If they did require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Vida Homeloans list

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Vida Homeloans done the valuation? Have you advised Vida Homeloans as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Vida Homeloans your lawyer must to check the Vida Homeloans conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for Vida Homeloans. The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Vida Homeloans where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. The CML are developing guidance for Northern Ireland and Scotland.

If you are getting a mortgage with Vida Homeloans involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel. We would not encourage you to both use the same solicitors' firm. There are clear conflict of interest issues and it's not going to make a huge difference to the speed of the overall process. So as not to hold things us you should pass on your solicitors details to Vida Homeloans. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel.

Where information comes to Vida Homeloans 's attention regarding the customers or the security that they were not aware of prior to offer that affects their original decision to lend

You will need to appoint solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and the Vida Homeloans through the process.

Ask Vida Homeloans for conveyancing panel firms in your area. Lenders have them all over the country. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet Vida Homeloans's requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.

It would be sensible to have your start your search soon rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the EA. As you are getting a mortgage with Vida Homeloans, ask your prospective lawyers check they are on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

If you have finished paying off your Vida Homeloans mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Vida Homeloans mortgage from the register. Vida Homeloans,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage: but are not moving to another property where the Vida Homeloans has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and the Vida Homeloans has instructed the Land Registry to do so The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Vida Homeloans mortgage has been paid off.

Although you do need to retain the services of a lawyer they dont need to be on the Vida Homeloans panel. You will need a solicitor to draw up the transfer and to deal with the Land Registry formalities. The only thing you need to consider is that by selling at an undervalue so ask your lawyer about the implications. There could be an inheritance tax issue if you die within 7 years of this. There's no capital gains tax for you as it is your main residence.

It is not advisable 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 Vida Homeloans you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel.

Vida Homeloans must be informed of your intention before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Vida Homeloans'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 Vida Homeloans directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel solicitor.

All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the Vida Homeloans branches or the Customer Services Department at Vida Homeloans head office. We understand that complaints to Vida Homeloans are sorted out very quickly. If you feel that the matter is not resolved you can write to the Financial Ombudsman Service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

There is little point in complaining directly to Vida Homeloans. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor's or conveyancer's website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.

The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.

If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.

As long as the conveyancer is on the Vida Homeloans panel she or he must comply with the CML Handbook requirements for Vida Homeloans. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that Vida Homeloans will go ahead your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask Vida Homeloans to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Vida Homeloans panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

It is probably the case that Vida Homeloans have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Vida Homeloans may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing correctly and safely installed. It merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that they are on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Vida Homeloans to deal with your lawyers application to be on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitors will be accepted.

Vida Homeloans will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Vida Homeloans 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 Vida Homeloans you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.

In terms of the Vida Homeloans mortgage, it is unusual that your ex-wife's name remains on the mortgage but not on the title. It is conceivable that this is an oversight on the part of your conveyancers to ensure that her name was removed or even an administrative error on the part of Vida Homeloans in failing to update their data. In any event, it should cause difficulty providing her name no longer appears on the Land Registry title and you have a court order ordering that the property is transferred to you.

The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure these solicitors are on the lenders panel). Call up Vida Homeloans or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Vida Homeloans will tell you what documents they want. Vida Homeloans will instruct a valuer. The valuer will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about week to get a mortgage offer. Vida Homeloans will issue the offer to you and your lawyer. The transaction will then take it's course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing.

It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with Vida Homeloans and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.

Not all your area conveyancing firms are on the Vida Homeloans conveyancing panel. Use the above search tool to locate a your area conveyancing firm on the on the Vida Homeloans panel.