Me and my fiance are planning to buy a 1 bedroom apartment in Cheltenham with a mortgage. We have a Cheltenham solicitor, but the mortgage company says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel firms or retain our Cheltenham property lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; are we not able to demand that the bank use our Cheltenham solicitor ?
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 bank’s 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. A further alternative is for your Cheltenham conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
How up to date is your database of Cheltenham solicitors on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel? Do Bank of Ireland send you an updated list?
Cheltenham conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Bank of Ireland directly.
My property lawyer in Cheltenham is not on the The Mortgage Works Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my prefered solicitor even though they are not on the The Mortgage Works approved list?
The limited options open to you here include:
- Carry on with your existing Cheltenham lawyers but The Mortgage Works will need to retain a solicitor on their panel. This will inevitably rack up the overall legal fees as well as cause delays.
- Get a new practitioner to act in the conveyancing, not forgetting to check they are The Mortgage Works approved.
- Persuade your The Mortgage Works based solicitor to seek to join the The Mortgage Works panel
If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Cheltenham what would it be?
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Cheltenham conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.
I am helping my sister sell her property in Cheltenham. Does the solicitor arrange an energy assessment or should I organise this?
Following the abolition of Home Packs, EPC’s became a required component of moving property. An energy assessment must be commissioned before the property is advertised. This is not a task that conveyancers ordinarily arrange. If you are using a Cheltenham conveyancing lawyer they might be able to arrange energy assessments due to their contacts with reputable Cheltenham providers
I've digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Cheltenham solicitor - who is on the HSBC conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
HSBC will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually HSBC 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 Cheltenham 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.
I am selling my home. My former conveyancers has retired. I am in need of a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in Cheltenham if that makes things easier.
Do use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in Cheltenham. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move runs with a minimum of fuss.