I am in the process of selling my maisonette in Sturminster Newton and the estate agent has just e-mailed to warn that the buyers are swapping solicitor. The reason given is that the lender will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named lender only engage with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Sturminster Newton ?

UK lenders have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.

Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

What is your number one tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Sturminster Newton

We would encourage you not to go for the lowest Sturminster Newton conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

We were going to get a DIP from Leeds Building Society this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Leeds Building Society recommend any Sturminster Newton solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Sturminster Newton solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Leeds Building Society through the process.

I have instructed a Sturminster Newton conveyancing practitioner having made sure that they are on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Lloyds will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Lloyds 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 Sturminster Newton 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.

What can a local search inform me about the house my wife and I buying in Sturminster Newton?

Sturminster Newton conveyancing often commences with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company such as Searchflow The local search plays an important role in many a Sturminster Newton conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search will supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic sections.

How do I identify a Sturminster Newton law firm on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am prepared to travel upto 20miles to meet the solicitor.

Feel free to make use of the tool on this page. Please pick a mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Sturminster Newton conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have listed some Sturminster Newton conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can call them to check if they are on the Skipton Building Society panel

My solicitors in Sturminster Newton have advised me that they can not locate my conveyancing file. At the time of my purchase I took out a mortgage with the bank. Is it case that being on the lender conveyancing panel they need to have retained the file for a number of years?

Different lenders have different requirements but many of the Terms and Conditions of Conveyancing Panel Appointment require the file to be held for a period of 6 years. That being said we have not seen a copy of the mortgage company Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting the bank directly.