"Finsbury Park - It's not just what you know, it's who you know. Your Property Lawyer will use their working associations with the local authority and other bodies to deliver better results. In addition, areas of concern specific to the Finsbury Park region will also be examined."

Local issues considered by Finsbury Park Conveyancing Solicitors:

Official Local Authority Searches

If your are intending to purchase a home in Finsbury Park a Solicitor is required to apply to the council for Official Local Authority Searches. The Local Authority for Finsbury Park is London Borough of Haringey Council, Civic Centre, High Road, Wood Green, London, N22 8LE. Tel: 020 8489 0005

My solicitor is not on my Lender's panel - what do I do?

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. Lenders have also reduced the size of their panels, setting more restrictive criteria for membership. If your Finsbury Park 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:

• Obtain a mortgage from a less restrictive lender
• Instruct a solicitor whom your lender accepts
• Pay the lenders costs for their solicitor in addition to your own

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 instruct a different firm who is on your lender's panel, be aware that their quality and speed of service, along with the cost, may be quite different to that of your first choice. Before instructing another law firm, do your research as you would were they your first choice.

Qualifying for stamp duty relief in Finsbury Park

Nearly two thousand areas in England and Wales are eligible for stamp duty relief. Areas designated are identified by local government ward or electoral divisions. No stamp duty is due for houses bought in a Finsbury Park disadvantaged area under the £150k threshold. It may be necessary to make further enquiries with the local council, if initial searches fail to identify whether a residence lies in a disadvantaged area. A postcode search will usually determine whether a home being sold for less than the threshold is eligible. However this is not always accurate, and may not work for recently built properties.