I am in the process of selling my flat in Aberporth and the EA has just text me to warn that the buyers are changing their solicitor. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major lender only engage with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Aberporth ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 25 years.

Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. 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 buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any impact on this.

We are a couple about to sign contracts for a ground floor flat in Aberporth. We encountered a stumbling block. The mortgage offer with Norwich and Peterborough Building Society expires on 1/4/2026 but the owners are putting forward a completion date of 7/4/2026. Is it possible to extend the mortgage expiry date?

The person best placed to deal with your issue is your lawyer who is in a position to determine whether they should be discussing with the mortgage broker, vendor’s lawyers, estate agents or possibly all three taking into account the circumstances your transaction to date.

Our bank has recommended solicitors on their panel based in Aberporth but I would rather use a conveyancing lawyer in Aberporth round the corner to me. Are you able to assist?

Far from all Aberporth conveyancing practitioners are approved and listed on all lender’s conveyancing panel. Use the above search tool to choose a Aberporth conveyancing solicitor on the on the lender panel.

Are all Aberporth Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Barclays conveyancing list of approved solicitors?

A selection of lenders now utilise the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their panels.

Is it the case that all Aberporth solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the SRA. The majority of lenders do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Aberporth. My financial adviser suggested a lawyer. I paid an upfront payment of £150. Soon after, the property lawyer called me to say that they were not on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Yorkshire BS 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.

I am purchasing my first flat in Aberporth with a loan from National Westminster Bank. The builders would not budge the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The estate agent told me not reveal to my solicitor about this side-deal as it would put at risk my loan with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.