Knowledge of the local County Durham area is key to an easier, faster move. Our Solicitors' maintain a network of County Durham contacts and furthermore, any areas of particular consideration when buying or selling in County Durham will also be examined in detail.

We have assisted home movers throughout County Durham, including Conveyancing in DH1, DH2, DH3, DH6, DH7, DH8, DH9, DH99, DL12, DL13, DL14, DL15, DL16, DL17, DL4, DL5, SR7, SR8, TS28, TS29.

Disadvantaged Areas in County Durham

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. County Durham residential property under £150,000 within one of these areas is exempt from stamp duty. If it is suspected that a property is located in a disadvantaged area, further enquiries are required to be made to the local council or authority. For a purchase below the threshold, it is worth making a simple postcode search to find out if a property is in a disadvantaged area. Call our Conveyancing team for a full list of designated disadvantaged areas in County Durham.

Do you know if your County Durham dream home is in an Engish Heritage at risk conservation area?

Conservation areas are designated by Local Councils to control change in residential (and industrial) areas that people wish to protect from neglect. There are 9,300 of them in the UK. However, sadly many are falling into a state of disrepair e.g. increase in unsympathetic replacement doors and windows - typically pvc.

The following conservation areas are reported as at risk:

• Annfield Plain - very bad, medium vulnerability and deteriorating.
• Bowburn - very bad, low vulnerability and deteriorating.
• Kirk Merrington - at risk, unknown vulnerability and deteriorating.
• Mordon - at risk, unknown vulnerability and deteriorating.
• Windlestone Park - very bad, high vulnerability and improving.

What are the consequences if your solicitor is not on your Lender's panel?

Lenders once permitted any solicitors' firm to join their panel. These panels were established so that firms could join and thereby perform legal work on mortgages on behalf of lenders. Increasingly however, lenders have lowered the number of firms which they will accept and allow to perform this work. If your County Durham conveyancing solicitor is not on your preferred lender's panel, then the lender will not instruct that firm to act in connection with the mortgage. You then have a choice; you could either obtain a mortgage from another lender, or instruct another firm of conveyancer who are on the panel. Generally, it is cheaper to have the same firm act both for you and your lender, but you could also choose to persist with both your first choice of lender and solicitor, and pay for a lawyer selected by the lender to carry out the relevant legal work. Consider these points if you choose to change firms:

• Additional fees may be charged by the new firm which your original lawyers considered to be inclusive.
• Your second choice of firm may have less local knowledge, or be harder to meet in person.