I am in the process of selling my house in Crewkerne and the estate agent has just telephoned to say that the purchasers are appointing a new property lawyer. The excuse is that the lender will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a leading lender only engage with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Crewkerne ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for many years.

Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to disclose 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 unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Crewkerne. I now require my file but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Crewkerne of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I decided to have a survey completed on a house in Crewkerne in advance of retaining lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor advised that some banks will not give a mortgage on such a house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you call us we can investigate further via 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 Crewkerne. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

What makes your site different to alternative online quote calculators when it comes to conveyancing in Crewkerne?

At this site receive a conveyancing costs illustration from a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that understands the nuances for your conveyancing in Crewkerne. Unlike many estate agents and many comparison sites we do not charge firms a fee if you appoint them for your conveyancing in Crewkerne

Is there an average conveyancing fee for conveyancing in Crewkerne?

The average cost in 2014 for conveyancing in Crewkerne was just over one thousand four hundred and fifty pounds excluding SDLT and HM Land Registry fees.