I am in the process of selling my flat in Buckhurst Hill and the estate agent has just called to advise that the purchasers are changing their solicitor. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a major mortgage company only deal with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Buckhurst Hill ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 15 years.

Banks blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms 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. The buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

Should our solicitor be raising enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Buckhurst Hill.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Buckhurst Hill. Plenty of people will acquire a house in Buckhurst Hill, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a various checks that may be initiated by the buyer or by their conveyancers which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Buckhurst Hill. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms given to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a standard inquiry of the owner to find out whether the premises has historically flooded. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the owner, then a purchaser may bring a claim for damages as a result of such an inaccurate response. A buyer’s conveyancers should also commission an environmental search. This will disclose whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be conducted.

I have recentlyfound out that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Buckhurst Hill for a purchase of a leasehold flat 12 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is in my name in the name of the previous owner?

The easiest way to check if the property is registered to you, 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 Buckhurst Hill conveyancing specialists.

I'm converting the mortgage on my primary home to a buy to let loan with Leeds Building Society and I will use the ballance of the raised equity as a down payment on another property. The location we are looking at is Buckhurst Hill. Will your solicitors be able to act for the two banks and link together the conveyances?

Do use our comparison tool on this page to check that the solicitors are approved by both banks. Assuming that they are the solicitor should be able to simultaneously deal with the two deals but you should talk with you conveyancer and make apparent your desired outcome and needs.

In sourcing the internet for the words cheap conveyancing in Buckhurst Hill it reveals many conveyancerslocally. How do I determine which is the right conveyancer for purchase transaction?

The preferential way of seeking a suitable conveyancer is via personal testimonial, so seek the guidance of friends and relatives who have purchased a property in Buckhurst Hill or a reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Buckhurst Hill vary, so it's advisable to obtain a minimum of three fee estimates from different law firms. Dont forget to clarify what costs in the quote includes.