You can maximise the likelihood of hassle-free Conveyancing, with a Solicitor with experience transacting property in region. Your Property Lawyer will use their working associations with the local authority and other bodies to deliver better results. In addition, areas of particular concern or relevancy to Whitstable property are thoroughly investigated.

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

Panels of solicitors are maintained by mortgage lenders in order to undertake legal work on mortgaged properties. Increasingly however, lenders have lowered the number of firms which they will accept and allow to perform this work. In order to proceed where your lawyer is not on a mortgage lender' s panel, you have the following options:

• 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.

Looking for a mortgage lender with a branch in Whitstable, Kent, try:

• Barclays Bank plc, 65-67, High St, CT5 1AU - Tel: 0845 7555555
• NatWest Bank plc, 56A, High St, CT5 1BD - Tel: 0845 6002803

Does your Whitstable purchase qualify for Stamp Duty Relief?

Disadvantaged Areas Relief may be available in nearly 2,000 areas throughout the UK, using local government wards to delineate boundaries. Whitstable residential property under £150,000 within one of these areas is exempt from stamp duty. Above this designated limit of £150k, the normal rates of duty apply, and no further relief may be available. A postcode search will usually determine whether a home being sold for less than the threshold is eligible. 'Mixed use' property, including a shop with an apartment above, may also receive stamp duty relief.

Searches in Whitstable

If your are intending to purchase a home in Whitstable a Solicitor is required to apply to the council for Official Local Authority Searches. The Local Authority for Whitstable is Canterbury City Council, Military Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1YW. Tel: 01227 862 000 or out of hours emergencies on: 0845 054 4847