I am progressing with the sale of my home in Brackla and the estate agent has just telephoned to warn that the buyers are switching property lawyer. The reason given is that the lender will only engage with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a leading lender only engage with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Brackla ?

Banks have always had an approved set of law firms that can act for them, but in the past few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.

Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

Can I use your services to recommend a Conveyancing solicitor in Brackla even if I’m not buying or disposing of a house, for instance if I intend to buy an office in Brackla with a mortgage from Barclays ?

The service is primarily used to select domestic conveyancing solicitors in Brackla but we have listed towards the end of this page a selection of Brackla commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to enquire with the firm directly to establish if they can also act for Barclays

I am considering applying for a Barclays mortgage for purchase of a new build (under development) in Brackla with 65 per cent loan to value. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for Barclays ?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Barclays conveyancing panel, but Barclays would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same conveyancing matter.

How can we tell if a Brackla conveyancing solicitor on the Coventry BS panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Brackla obtaining recommendations is a sensible starting point. 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 advocate that you speak with the lawyer carrying out your conveyancing.

I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Brackla solicitor - who is on the Barclays conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?

Barclays will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Barclays 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. Your solicitor 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 your Brackla postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Barclays, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Brackla.

RBS have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a property in Brackla has been agreed to, what are the next steps?

Your estate agent will wish to be advised as to your lawyer's details (ensure that the conveyancing practitioners are on the lender’s panel). Call up RBS or your financial adviser and finish off any outstanding forms. RBS will sellect a valuer who will get in touch with the selling agent or seller to book a slot for the valuation to take place. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes on average ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. RBS will send the offer to you and your conveyancers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Brackla.

Taking into account that I will soon part with 450k on a garden flat in Brackla I would like to have a conversation with the conveyancer concerning thetransaction ahead of instructing the firm. Can this be arranged?

This is something that we recommend - we would be happy to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the conveyancer who will be doing your conveyancing in Brackla.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important individual, not a case reference. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are quoted for your conveyancing in Brackla should be the amount on the final invoice that you are charged.