Do banks and building societies provide you with an approved list of Havering conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the HSBC conveyancing panel?
Havering conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from HSBC directly.
I have 7378 less than 75 years remaining on my lease and need a lease extension for my flat in Havering. Conveyancing solicitors on the Nationwide Building Society panel can deal with such extensions right?
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 2/9/2026 the requirements read as follows :
I am helping my niece sell her flat in Havering. Will the conveyancer commission an EPC or do I organise this?
Following the demise of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was kept a mandatory part of moving property. An energy performance certificate needs to be commissioned before the property is placed on the market. This is not as aspect of the sale process that solicitors normally arrange. Where you are instructing a Havering conveyancing lawyer they may help arrange energy assessments given their relationships with long established Havering assessors
Are all Havering Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
I am purchasing a property in Havering. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Virgin Money have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
As your lender is Virgin Money your lawyer must follow the formal requirements contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Virgin Money. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Virgin Money where a lease fails to comply with these provisions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Havering.
I have been told that property searches are a common reason for hinderance in Havering conveyancing transactions. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the top 10 causes of hindrances during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Havering.
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Havering in advance of appointing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor advised that some banks will not grant a mortgage on this type of property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you contact us we can investigate further with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Havering. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
What do I do if I am not happy with the conveyancing practitioner who did my conveyancing in Havering?
We live in an imperfect world, and unfortunately occasionally things do go wrong. However there is recourse where you were unhappy with your conveyancing in Havering. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a lawyer to their regulator. If you remain dissatisfied you may consider enlisting the help of the Legal Ombudsman.