My fiance and I are acquiring property in Cockermouth. My Conveyancer is not listed on the bank approved list. Am I still permitted to retain my Cockermouth conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the mortgage company approved list?

You have numerous options available to you here

• Complete the deal with your existing Cockermouth property lawyer but your bank will no doubt retain a property lawyer from their approved panel. The net result is additional fees together with likely interruption.
• Appoint a fresh conveyancer to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
• Convince your property lawyer to do everything possible to get listed on the mortgage company panel of solicitors

Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that may affect a commercial premises in Cockermouth?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Cockermouth will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Cockermouth. The search result sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Cockermouth.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Cockermouth it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can result in delays to Cockermouth commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Cockermouth.

I am purchasing my first flat in Cockermouth with the aid of help to buy. The developers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The house builders rep advised me not to tell my solicitor about the deal as it may affect my loan with HSBC Bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

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.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Cockermouth I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it only has 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Cockermouth suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on our sale of a £175,000 garden flat in Cockermouth in seven days. The landlords agents has quoted £396 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Cockermouth?

Cockermouth conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes ordinarily necessitates fees being raised by management companies :

Completing conveyancing due diligence questions Where consent is required before sale in Cockermouth Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Cockermouth leasehold premises is £350. For Cockermouth conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to supply answers.

I invested in buying a 1st floor flat in Cockermouth, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2005. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent properties in Cockermouth with an extended lease are worth £222,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2096

With 70 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.