"There a several benefits of local information when buying or selling in Hornchurch. Our Solicitors' maintain a network of Hornchurch contacts. In addition, areas of concern specific to the Hornchurch region will also be examined.

We have assisted home movers throughout Hornchurch, including Conveyancing in RM11, RM12."

Local issues considered by Hornchurch Conveyancing Solicitors:

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. 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 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:

• Instruct another firm who is on your lender's panel, or,
• Find a mortgage from a different lender

You could also choose to work with your current solicitor, but you will have to pay the lender's costs in addition to your own, as they will instruct a member of their panel. Consider these issues if you are intending to stay with your solicitor rather than opt for your mortgage lender's choice:

• You will have to pay your lender's legal costs
• By being required to send documents to the lender's solicitors, delays will inevitably occur
• You will be unable to contact the lender's firm directly, as they will be acting for the lender rather than you

Looking for a mortgage lender with a branch in Hornchurch, Essex, try:

• Lloyds TSB Bank plc, 21-25, Station Lane, RM12 6JL - Tel: 0845 3000000
• NatWest Bank plc, 120-122, High St, RM12 4UL - Tel: 0845 6002803
• Santander, 114, High St, RM12 4HR - Tel: 0845 7654321
• Halifax, 88-92, High St, RM12 4UH - Tel: 01708 799236

Qualifying for stamp duty relief in Hornchurch

Designated areas as 'disadvantaged areas' may qualify for relief from stamp duty. Local government wards or electoral divisions are used to define the boundaries of these. For homes bought for less than £150,000, this relief may be available. 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. 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 search may not be 100% reliable, particularly in the case of new builds.

Official Searches in Hornchurch

If your are planning to buy a property in Hornchurch your lawyer will conduct Local Authority Searches. The Local Authority for Hornchurch is London Borough of Havering Council, Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BB. Tel: 01708 434 343