I am hoping to move into my new home in Plymouth next Tuesday. My solicitor now wants me to supply her with evidence of content and building insurance for the property as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the mortgage company. What does the insurance need to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for lenders would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 requirements. These requirements are not unique to conveyancing in Plymouth.

Why do I have to pay up front when it comes to conveyancing in Plymouth?

Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Plymouth your lawyer will ask you place them with funds to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. When the deposit is as part of the sale price then this will be required shortly before exchange of contracts. The final balance that is due should be sent to your lawyer shortly before completion.

What can a local search tell me regarding the property my wife and I purchasing in Plymouth?

Plymouth conveyancing often starts with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company for example Xpress Legal The local search plays a central role in many a Plymouth conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any nasty surprises after you move into your new home. The search should provide data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (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 thirteen topic sections.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Plymouth. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Plymouth

The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.

We are in the process of purchasing a flat in Plymouth. Conveyancing is not over but we wish to have the amount we are are buying for a secret from sites such as Rightmove. How do I make sure this is not disclosed?

The Land Registry by statute are bound to disclose price paid information on a register of the title for residential properties nationwide which includes properties in Plymouth. The Title Register is a public document, so HMLR would be breaching their statutory obligations excluded certain homes such as the one in Plymouth.

You can ask the Land Registry to hide the price paid data but the answer will be in the negative.