We are getting the release of further monies on our mortgage from Principality as we want to conduct a loft conversion to our house in Plympton. Are we obliged to appoint a high street Plympton solicitor on the Principality conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?

Principality don't usually appoint a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Principality conveyancing panel.

We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Virgin Money. Plympton conveyancing lawyers have been appointed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Virgin Money?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Virgin Money conducted the valuation? Have you advised Virgin Money as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Plympton. I have a mortgage offer with Aldermore. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Aldermore, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.

What can a local search inform me concerning the house I am purchasing in Plympton?

Plympton conveyancing often commences with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company for instance Searches UK The local search is essential in every Plympton conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search should provide data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic areas.

I am buying my first flat in Plympton with a loan from Halifax. The builders would not move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The property agent advised me not reveal to my lawyer about this extras as it could adversely affect my mortgage with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.

I am looking for a conveyancing practitioner in Plympton for my sale. Is there any facility to see a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?

Anyone can search for presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from inquisitions commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find details Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could recorded telephone calls for training purposes.

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Plympton. Conveyancing has not commenced, however I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you pay the service charge as you normally would because all ground rent and maintenance invoices will be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I own a 2 bed flat in Plympton, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar properties in Plympton with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2079

You have 54 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £32,300 and £37,400 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.