Frequently asked questions relating to the Barclays - Woolwich Conveyancing Panel from members of the public
I am expecting a mortgage with Barclays - Woolwich. I hope to retain the legal services of a Licensed Conveyancer. Does the Barclays - Woolwich Conveyancing panel exclude Licensed Conveyancers
Barclays - Woolwich’s approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders associated to the CML or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
Can you help?. For no fault of my lawyer but, the conveyancing for my house purchase has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Barclays - Woolwich was date stamped random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on Tues etc. My lawyer informs me that as she is on the Barclays - Woolwich conveyancing panel she needs to redo the searches as they are no longer valid.
A precondition to being on the Barclays - Woolwich approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Barclays - Woolwich)which specifies that a local authority search be not more than 6 months old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to Barclays - Woolwich.
Do lenders provide you with an approved list of solicitors? How do you know who is on the Barclays - Woolwich conveyancing panel?
The firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Barclays - Woolwich conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Barclays - Woolwich directly.
I am attempting to get my ex-wife removed the mortgage deeds. Can Barclays - Woolwich really insist on which solicitor I can or can not retain?
You can use any solicitor you like but Barclays - Woolwich then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the Barclays - Woolwich solicitors panel
I had instructed online conveyancers based in Cardiff who are on the Barclays - Woolwich solicitor panel. They are now charging me a separate fee of £195 for the legal aspects of the Barclays - Woolwich mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Barclays - Woolwich?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitors can charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by Barclays - Woolwich but by your lawyers. Some firms on the Barclays - Woolwich will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but plenty of firms include it on their overall fee.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Barclays - Woolwich. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event if you are getting a mortgage with Barclays - Woolwich you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Barclays - Woolwich conveyancing panel.
My offer on house has been accepted, the seller does however have a dependent purchase. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage app going with Barclays - Woolwich?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the Barclays - Woolwich conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with Barclays - Woolwich and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.