Just been in touch with my conveyancing solicitor in Cockermouth who acted for me 18 months ago requesting a conveyancing estimate based on an identical type of house move (a leasehold property and a freehold premises) of almost identical values with a loan from Coventry Building Society. I am now being charged twice the amount. Should I look for an alternative conveyancer?

The costs illustration is slightly on the steep side. If you you were to look around you might trim some of the cost by as much as £125. On the other hand, if you were content with the assistance the firm gave you couldcome to regret choosing an a cheaper conveyancer. Don't forget to ensure the firm can represent Coventry Building Society. Do utilise our search tool to get a quote a Cockermouth conveyancing firm on the Coventry Building Society member panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Cockermouth.

My wife and I buying a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Cockermouth. Our aim is to an extension at the rear at the property.Will legal due diligence on the property involve enquiries to ascertain if these alterations are prohibited?

Your solicitor should check the registered title as conveyancing in Cockermouth can occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which prevent certain works or necessitated the consent of a 3rd party. Certain extensions require local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.

Does a directory service exist listing RBS panel solicitors in Cockermouth on the Building Society Association’s Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such directory service on the CML or Building Society Association sites. Very few lenders make their panel listings visible on the web. Where you are seeking to appoint a Cockermouth property lawyer on the RBS please use our facility.

We previously selected conveyancing lawyers locally in Cockermouth on the Principality solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a separate charge for handling the Principality mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Principality?

Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your conveyancing practitioner may charge a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Principality but by your Cockermouth conveyancer. Plenty of firms on the Principality panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but many practices incorporate it on their overall fee.

A colleague suggested that where I am buying in Cockermouth I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Cockermouth conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Cockermouth around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Cockermouth Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Cockermouth.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Cockermouth?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Cockermouth. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am buying my first flat in Cockermouth with a loan from Skipton Building Society. The builders refused to move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The estate agent suggested that I not inform my solicitor about the side-deal as it may jeopardize my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.