Skipton valuation requirements highlight an important conveyancing question: does the property described in the valuation match the legal title? A valuation and a title investigation serve different purposes, but discrepancies between them can affect the lender’s security and the buyer’s understanding of what they are purchasing.
Originally published on 26 January 2016. Updated in October 2026. The amendment discussed below is a historical example, not a statement of Skipton’s current instructions.
Reviewing an earlier Skipton transaction?
Establish what the lender required at the relevant date rather than relying on today’s Handbook wording.
Check historical Skipton Building Society lender requirements.
What changed in Skipton’s valuation instructions?
The original article recorded an amendment to Skipton Building Society’s Part 2 answer at section 4.1 of the then CML Handbook.
- Earlier wording: the borrower was expected to provide the valuation, with a copy available from the Completions Team if necessary.
- Replacement wording recorded in January 2016: Skipton said it supplied the valuation in most cases and directed the conveyancer to obtain it from the Completions Team if it was not attached to the instructions.
The practical point was easy to overlook: the absence of a valuation from the initial instruction pack did not mean the conveyancer could assume it was irrelevant. The lender’s instructions needed to be checked and the document obtained where required.
Why compare the valuation with the legal title?
The historical Part 1 provisions discussed in the original article required reasonable checks for discrepancies between the property as valued and its title documentation. They also addressed the valuer’s assumptions about matters such as tenure, easements, boundaries and restrictions on use.
The purpose was to identify whether the valuation depended on a legal assumption that the conveyancing investigation did not support.
For example, a valuation might describe a property as benefiting from a driveway, garden or parking space. The conveyancer’s investigation might reveal that the relevant land falls outside the title or that the necessary rights are unclear.
That difference can matter to both the lender and the buyer. It may require further investigation, advice and a report to the lender under the applicable instructions.
Boundary discrepancies are a practical example
A fence, wall or hedge may appear to define the property being purchased. However, the physical arrangement needs to be considered alongside the title documents and the buyer’s understanding of the property’s extent.
An apparent mismatch does not automatically establish a defect: most registered title plans show general boundaries. Equally, a significant discrepancy should not simply be dismissed because the property has been occupied in that way for years.
Our guide to boundary problems when selling a house explains the difference between an imprecise title plan, land outside the title and an actual boundary dispute.
Access and service rights also deserve attention
A property may appear to have convenient access and working services while the documents raise questions about the legal rights supporting those arrangements.
The relevant investigation concerns the rights themselves, their scope and any limitations. Practical use alone does not answer every legal question.
See our related article on missing easements and historical lender requirements, including access, drainage and service rights.
The conveyancer and valuer perform different roles
Comparing the valuation with the title does not turn the conveyancer into a surveyor or require an independent assessment of the property’s market value.
The task is to identify relevant legal discrepancies and follow the applicable reporting instructions. A conveyancer should also explain material findings to the buyer, including their potential effect on ownership, use and a future sale.
Merely forwarding documents may not communicate the significance of a problem. Our article on client understanding of the Report on Title explores that distinction.
Practical checks for a live conveyancing file
- Check the current lender instructions, mortgage offer and any supplementary requirements.
- Establish whether the valuation must be obtained and reviewed.
- Compare the property description and relevant legal assumptions with the title documents and information supplied.
- Investigate apparent discrepancies and report them where required.
- Retain the relevant documents, correspondence and any lender response.
- Explain material implications to the buyer and record the advice given.
For a current transaction, consult the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook. The CML Handbook terminology and section references in the original 2016 article should be read in their historical context.
Checking historical Skipton valuation requirements
When a problem emerges during a later sale or remortgage, separate the current lender’s requirements from the instructions applicable to the original purchase.
The Lexsure Lender Archive for Skipton Building Society provides access to dated Part 2 records. Those records should be considered alongside the historical general instructions, mortgage offer, case-specific correspondence and conveyancing file.
A historical instruction helps establish what the lender required. It does not, by itself, establish what the conveyancer did, what advice the buyer received or whether anyone was negligent.
Finding a conveyancer on Skipton’s panel
If you are arranging a new purchase or remortgage, use the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel search to find firms by location. Confirm the proposed firm’s eligibility for your particular transaction before instructing it.
Has a boundary issue emerged when selling?
If your buyer’s solicitor has questioned the garden, driveway or land included in your title, start with the documents and advice from your original purchase.
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