"Awareness of an area's issues and concerns can mean the difference between a stress-free move, and a drawn-out and difficult process. Relevant and up-to-date area information is gathered by our Property Lawyers thanks to their network of Acton contacts. With regard to issues commonly arising during Acton home-moves, your Solicitor will also utilise their area experience to anticipate and resolve these before they affect you."

Local issues considered by Acton Conveyancing Solicitors:

Do you know if your Acton prospective new home is in a designated an at risk conservation area?

Conservation areas are designated by Local Councils to preside over change in regions that people want to protect from neglect. Unfortunately however, many are not being properly managed e.g. proliferation of satellite dishes.

The following conservation areas are reported as at risk:

• Acton - at risk, unknown vulnerability and deteriorating.
• Acton Town Centre, Acton - very bad, low vulnerability and improving.

Qualifying for stamp duty relief in Acton

Designated areas as 'disadvantaged areas' may qualify for relief from stamp duty. In England and Wales, they are based on local government wards and electoral divisions. No stamp duty is due for houses bought in a Acton disadvantaged area under the £150k threshold. Above this limit of £150k, nationwide rates apply regardless of whether the property is located within a disadvantaged area. A postcode search will usually determine whether a home being sold for less than the threshold is eligible. Call for more information regarding Acton disadvantaged areas, and to determine if your purchase is affected.

Fridaysmoves property lawyers in Acton are on all UK mortgage lender panels, including:

Issues to consider when your lawyer is not on your Lender's panel

Panels of solicitors are maintained by mortgage lenders in order to undertake legal work on mortgaged properties. Recently, lenders have changed the criteria for the firms which they will accept on their panels. They have also reduced the size of their panels, removing firms which do not carry out much Conveyancing work or which they consider to have proved unsatisfactory in the past. If your lender does not accept your chosen solicitor, you must make a decision as to how to proceed:

• Try to obtain a mortgage from another lender who will instruct your Conveyancing solicitor.
• Instruct another firm of Conveyancing solicitors who are on your lender's panel to handle your Conveyancing.
• Continue with your present Conveyancing solicitor, but accept that a separate firm will also act for the lender, and that you will have to pay their costs in addition.

It is usually cheaper to have the same firm act both for you and your lender, and carry out all the conveyancing work in connection with a purchase and the mortgage. If you choose to remain with your first choice of Acton-based solicitor, consider the following:

• Your lenders will instruct another firm, and you will have to pay their costs in addition to your own
• Your solicitor will have to send documents and information to the other solicitors, and wait for a response, which can cause delays
• Your case will be one of many which the lender's solicitors are dealing with, so it will be more difficult to engineer any priority treatment
• You cannot contact these solicitors directly, as they will be acting for the lender, not for you