Anyone got a mortgage from hsbc recently?

[MissHairspray]

...and was it a major headache?

We've just accepted and offer on our property and are hoping to offer on one to buy soon. Hsbc seem to be offering the best rates but there seem to be loads of problems with them holding up sales/having to use their solicitors. They've apparently just announced that they are extending the number of conveyancers they will work with which should help shouldn't it? We don't have to get our mortgage sorted just yet but we do need to instruct solicitors and don't want to end up choosing one that isn't on their list and then having to pay extra fees, but its irrelevant if we decide avoid hsbc anyway iyswim. Thanks!

This thread here should be useful, both for recent experiences and info about which solicitors are on the current panel.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/a1505957-Anyone-else-getting-a-mortgage-with-HSBC-Agh

I actually found the price for conveyancing cheaper when quoted through HSBC (via countrywide) than when I approached the same solicitor direct, so hopefully that might still be the case once the panel expands (which is end of this month, is that right?).

They are not the only mortgage provided doing this. We recently used Nationwide and our conveyancer also had to be on their list.

They were (but then in theory they should have been anyway, as they were linked into the estate agent group).

last quoted, they weren't willing to lend much, and they were going to charge us alot..
there was something on the radio about 'approved lists' of conveyancers - apparently they widened the lists after widespread complaint that they were limited to a stupidly small number.

We haven't got as far as getting the mortgage finalised yet as we're currently trying to sell in order to upsize. However we have been given an agreement in principle by HSBC for what we need, at better rates than anyone else is currently offering. My DH handled it (he's an accountant) and it didn't sound particularly traumatic.

However we are currently with HSBC with our existing mortgage, and the plan is for it to be ported, which might make the difference? I don't recall us having any problems when we moved the mortgage to them a year or two ago, however. But then we already owned the house, so that might be a bit different.

[/ramble]

We took an HSBC mortgage in Jan (applied online)

We were able to use our own solicitor, but the HSBC admin/mortgage approval process was hell.

There were so many delays, passing to different depts and "just a few more questions" that we were seriously in danger of losing our purchase because the vendors were starting to doubt that we were credit-worthy.

I ended up walking into a branch and refusing to leave until they helped me. they were brilliant! Got on the phone and kept badgering and asking to speak to someone senior until the mortgage offer was faxed and everything from went smoothly from there. The branch staff member got a huge box of Chocs from me cos I was so grateful.

The lesson seemed to be (for us) was that we should have applied in branch so we could pop in to nag daily if need be.

The rate we got was great, and we are very happy now, but I really wouldn't want to go through that again!

We've just exchanged contracts and will have our new mortgage with hsbc. We applied in branch and used our own conveyancer. We had to pay a fee for that but figured that we will save more over time than with another lender due to a lower interest rate. Haven't had any problems with them. It took a week or so to get our application approved but that was because I was going onto maternity leave and our application was sent off to the under writers.

They are a PITA it is well known but they are sticklers for affordability in the last year it seems. Lots of complaints about them on MSE

I think that lots of the previous problems were due to the huge nos of buyers all purchasing at the same time to beat the stamp duty holiday. They were simply overwhelmed with work.

Got on in Dec last year.
Was fine.
Got a FR deal with fee free mortgage and free valuation.
No real problems tbh

My buyer was with HSBC. They delayed everything by over a month with endless last minute queries.

Thanks for the replies everyone, really good to have some feedback. Unfortunately sodding buyer just pulled out this afternoon so can't progress with buying yet but fingers crossed will be able to shortly.

Just wanted to add that I am currently in house buying/ selling HELL, thanks to HSBC. We are not using them, but are unlucky enough to have both our buyer and seller use them.

We were delayed ages at the start by one side. Then just as we all agreed on a completion date, the other side delayed us for weeks. We got that sorted eventually and now the other side are delaying us AGAIN. We just missed our second completion date and still haven't exchanged. If we dont exchange on Monday, we miss the next one too...

Am so so furious with them and their useless time wasting conveyancers. It doesn't help that I am pregnant and desperate to move before I give birth!

I would advise all to STAY AWAY!

We applied in September last year, it was finally sorted in February this year. Sodding nightmare and would never do it again! They are the worst I have ever dealt with, but unfortunately the deal was to good to ignore.