Buying or selling property in Harold Hill? Local know-how will make the difference. Your Property Lawyer will use their working associations with the local authority and other bodies to deliver better results.

Issues to consider when your lawyer 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 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. If you decide to instruct another firm because they are on your lender's panel, you should bear in mind the following:

• The new firm might charge more or may charge additional fees.
• You might still have to pay your old firm for work they have already completed.
• The new firm may have no knowledge of the Harold Hill area.

Official Local Authority Searches

If your are buying a property in Harold Hill a property lawyer is required to apply to the council for Local Authority Searches. The Local Authority for Harold Hill is London Borough of Havering Council, Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BB. Tel: 01708 434 343

Harold Hill Stamp Duty Relief

Disadvantaged Areas Relief may be available in nearly 2,000 areas throughout the UK. These are based on electoral divisions and local government wards. For homes bought for less than £150,000, this relief may be available. Above this limit of £150k, nationwide rates apply regardless of whether the property is located within a disadvantaged area. That said, for any purchase below £150,000, it is worth making a simple postcode search to find out if a property is in a Disadvantaged area. This relief is not generally available on commercial property, but some relief may be available for 'mixed use' premises such as a shop with a flat above.