We are buying a 2 bedroom flat in North Plymouth with a mortgage. We like our North Plymouth conveyancer, however the lender advise she’s not on their "panel". It appears that we have no choice but to appoint one of the lender panel firms or keep our North Plymouth lawyer and pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. We consider that this is inequitable; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your North Plymouth conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

Would the conveyancing lawyers that you recommend perform attended exchange conveyancing in North Plymouth?

We do have a number of conveyancing specialists who can conduct attended exchanges. Do contact us to get a fee calculation and details as to availability.

It is a dozen years since I acquired my house in North Plymouth. Conveyancing solicitors have just been appointed on the sale but I am unable to find the deeds. Is this a major issue?

Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be kept by your mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who handled your purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining current official copies of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in North Plymouth involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it is more problematic but is not insurmountable.

What makes a North Plymouth lease unacceptable for security purposes?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in North Plymouth. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain clauses are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

Insurance obligations Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Barclays , Leeds Building Society, and Bank of Ireland all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the buyer to pull out.

I purchased a 1st floor flat in North Plymouth, conveyancing having been completed in 1999. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in North Plymouth with an extended lease are worth £227,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 2097

You have 72 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Do online conveyancing companies cover everything a local North Plymouth solicitor does or must I employ a solicitor for the final stages for my conveyancing in North Plymouth?

Where you use an online conveyancer they should undertake all the things your North Plymouth solicitor would cover.