I am expecting a mortgage with Santander. I hope to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in Windmill Hill. Does the Santander Conveyancing panel exclude conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Santander approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, represented by the CML or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

I had intended to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Windmill Hill for our house purchase. Our broker informed us that our mortgage lenders Barnsley Building Society won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unduly restrictive?

Mortgage Companies in the main restrict either the type or the volume of conveyancing practices on their panel. A common example of such criteria being that a law practice must have two or more partners. As well as restricting the type of firm, a few lenders have decided to limit the number of firms they use to act for them. You should note that Barnsley Building Society have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Barnsley Building Society Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels since 2008 even though there are differing opinions about the level of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry indicate that hundreds of law firms, including some in or near Windmill Hill only perform one or two conveyances a year.

Should our conveyancer be asking questions regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Windmill Hill.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers carrying out conveyancing in Windmill Hill. There are those who acquire a property in Windmill Hill, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that may be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will give them a better understanding of the risks in Windmill Hill. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms given to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual question of the vendor to discover whether the property has historically flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer may bring a claim for damages resulting from an incorrect response. The purchaser’s solicitors should also order an enviro search. This should reveal whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be made.

I opted to have a survey completed on a property in Windmill Hill prior to appointing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold property.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements from Nationwide. Should you wish to telephone us we can check via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Windmill Hill. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Windmill Hill to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

I am using a search engine for the words conveyancing in Windmill Hill it reveals numerous conveyancersin the vicinity. How do I determine which is the right property lawyer for the sale of my house?

The ideal method of finding the right conveyancer is via personal testimonial, so enquire of colleagues and relatives who have bought a property in Windmill Hill or the local estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Windmill Hill differ, so it's advisable to secure at least three fee calculations from varying types of property lawyers. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.