I am buying a semi-detached house in Windsor. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Windsor you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Windsor.

I am helping my mother sell her house in Windsor. Will the solicitor order the energy assessment or it is for me to coordinate?

After the abolition of Home Packs, energy assessments became a compulsory element of moving property. An energy assessment should be commissioned prior to the property being put on the market. It is not as aspect of the sale process that conveyancers ordinarily organise. Where you are using a Windsor conveyancing solicitor they may help arrange EPC’s due to their relationships with reputable Windsor providers

Is it the case that all Windsor solicitors on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of mortgage companies do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be overseen by the CLC.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Windsor conveyancing practitioner having checked that they are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Clydesdale will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Clydesdale 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 Windsor 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.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on last month in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Windsor is the location of the property. Can you offer any assistance?

Flying freeholds in Windsor are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Windsor you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Windsor may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

My husband and I are 18 days into a freehold purchase having been referred to solicitors by the estate agent to do our conveyancing in Windsor. I am am very dissatisfied with the quality of service. Could you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?

A conveyancer would need to be very bad to suggest changing them. Has the mortgage offer been sent? In the event that it has you will need to inform them of the new solicitor and ensure the mortgage documents are issued to the new lawyers. Your conveyancer should be on the mortgage company panel to avoid supplemental fees and delays. So that should be your starting point. The find a solicitor tool will help you find a bank approved solicitor for your home move in Windsor

I'm purchasing a flat in Windsor. I can find my conveyancer's company on the Law Society's list, but I can't locate my conveyancer's name as listed on the regulator's website. Is this a big problem?

Not every individual in the practice must be listed by the regulator. As long there is a manager qualified to 'oversee' the conveyancing, the actual day-to-day activity can be conducted by unqualified staff.