I have been told that property searches are the primary cause of delay in Mitcham Junction house deals. Is that correct?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the common causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are not likely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Mitcham Junction.

I have todaybecome aware that Arc property Solicitors have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Mitcham Junction for a purchase of a freehold house 18 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest way to check if the property is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Mitcham Junction conveyancing specialists.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Mitcham Junction prior to retaining solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor advised that some banks may not issue a loan on this type of premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you e-mail 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 Mitcham Junction. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

Should I be suspicious by third parties that I am dealing with are recommending a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Mitcham Junction conveyancing practice?

As is the case with many service providers, often input from relatives can be worth their weight in gold. Nevertheless there are many people with a vested interest in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders may put forward lawyers to select. On occasion these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but sometimes there may be a commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You are free to select your preferred lawyer. However, bear in mind that some banks specify a panel list of lawyers you have to use for the lender related work in your transaction.

My work colleague mentioned that before choosing a conveyancing firm they must be approved by your bank. I am a FTB but I have an offer in principle with Santander and I already have a high street conveyancing solicitor in Mitcham Junction on standby. Will Santander need an approved lawyer to be used? Does a list of panel conveyancers even exist for my conveyancing in Mitcham Junction?

You should choose a solicitor that is on the Santander panel. The first thing to do is telephone your chosen Mitcham Junction conveyancing solicitor to check if they are on the Santander panel. If they are not on the panel you have a couple of alternatives available to you here:

• Proceed with your preferred Mitcham Junction solicitor but Santander will no doubt use a solicitor from their conveyancing panel. The net impact is additional cost together with probable frustration.
• Appoint a new conveyancing practitioner to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the Santander conveyancing panel.
• Appeal to your conveyancer to attempt to join the mortgage company panel.