You can maximise the likelihood of hassle-free Conveyancing, with a Solicitor with experience transacting property in region. Fridaysmove-recommended Solicitors maintain close links with relevant local authorities and they are highly familiar with areas needing special consideration across Shirley.

The consequences of your solicitor not being on your Mortgage Lender's panel

Many lenders, and particularly nationwide banks, were once willing to instruct any Shirley solicitors who requested to be added to their panel. Lenders have also reduced the size of their panels, setting more restrictive criteria for membership. These options are available to any homebuyer whose solicitor is not on their lender's panel; 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.

Shirley Stamp Duty Relief

The government has designated certain areas as 'disadvantaged areas' and property purchases in such areas may qualify for relief from stamp duty. Local government wards or electoral divisions are used to define the boundaries of these. Shirley 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. 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.