We are a couple about to sign contracts for a semi detached house in Saltash. We encountered a problem. Our loan offer with Platform Home Loans Ltd runs out on 2/3/2026 but the owners are insisting on a completion date of 4/3/2026. Is it possible to extend the mortgage expiry date?

The best person to address this issue is your conveyancer who will determine whether they should be discussing with the mortgage broker, owner’s conveyancers, selling agents or possibly all parties taking into account what has gone on in your house move to date.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Saltash. I have a mortgage offer with Virgin Money. 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 have 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 Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

It is not clear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called my Saltash building society branch on numerous occasions and was reassured it wasn't an issue and they will lend. My Saltash conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called to say that they will not lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Your property lawyer must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook Part 2 requirements for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Saltash. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their conveyancing practitioner. I paid an advanced payment of £150. Shortly after, the property lawyer called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Leeds Building Society panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on last month in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Saltash is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Saltash are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Saltash you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Saltash may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

What tools are available to identify a Saltash law firm on the Aldermore conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am happy to travel upto 20miles to meet the lawyer.

Feel free to make use of the facility on this page. Please pick a mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Saltash conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Saltash conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can ring them to see if they are on the Aldermore member panel

I own a leasehold flat in Saltash. Conveyancing was finished in 21012. I have read on a number of advice forums that I should not allow the lease length fall too low. Why is that a problem?

Saltash leasehold properties are for a prescribed period - normally 99 years when they are first granted. However a significant flats in Saltash were built or converted 30 or more years ago and so such leases now have fewer than eighty years remaining. This may sound like plenty of time but Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage companies generally need leases to have at least 75 years unexpired to adequate security. Accordingly when you come to sell the property you will need a lease extension if you are getting close to seventy five years. To optimize your property value you should be thinking about whether or not to extend your lease well in advance of selling the property. You should note that there are advantages to doing so before the lease hits eighty years as when the lease falls below eighty years the premium to be paid to extend starts to increase.