I am progressing with the sale of my ground floor flat in Bury St Edmunds and the EA has just text me to advise that the purchasers are swapping solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the bank will only work with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major lender only deal with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Bury St Edmunds ?

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 worked with them for over 25 years.

Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. No lender will say 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. Plenty of firms 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. The purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Bury St Edmunds?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Bury St Edmunds. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Bury St Edmunds in advance of instructing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. Our surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to grant a mortgage on such a property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can look into this further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Bury St Edmunds. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I am looking to sell my home. My past lawyers have shut. I am in need of a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in Bury St Edmunds if that makes a difference.

Please use our search tool to help you find a solicitor for your conveyancing in Bury St Edmunds. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes with a minimum of fuss.

We are about to purchasing a property in Bury St Edmunds. Conveyancing is not yet done but we wish to have the amount we are are buying for confidential from sites such as Nestoria. Is this possible and how?

HM Land Registry by statute are bound to specify price paid information on a register of the title for residential properties nationwide which includes properties in Bury St Edmunds. The register of title is a public document, so the Land Registry would be breaking the law excluded specific homes such as the one in Bury St Edmunds.

You can ask the Land Registry to withhold the price paid entry however the response will be a No.