I am buying a property in Thurston. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. TSB have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with TSB your lawyer must follow the formal instructions set out in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for TSB. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to TSB where a lease does not comply with these requirements. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Thurston.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with RBS. I assume I don't need a Thurston solicitor on the RBS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your RBS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the RBS mortgage from the register. RBS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where RBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. RBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so

My offer on a semi in Thurston has been agreed to, the owners do nevertheless have a tied purchase. The vendors have put an offer on a flat, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have selected a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Thurston. What should be my next step? When should I get the mortgage application with Co-operative started?

It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is approx £1k, then survey, Thurston conveyancing search charges, etc). First, you must ensure that your solicitor is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent stages this very much depends on the uniqueness of your transaction, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. In a hot market many home buyers will apply for a home loan with Co-operative and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their solicitor to move forward with the conveyancing in Thurston.

I understand that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to take this when purchasing a property in Thurston? or Apparently there is a law dating back centuries that means some house owners living in a parish church boundary will be compelled to pay for maintenance to the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this suitable for conveyancing in Thurston?

Unless a prior acquisition of the house took place after 12 October 2013 you could assume that lawyers conducting conveyancing in Thurston to continue to recommend a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

Me and my brother own a terraced Edwardian house in Thurston. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Nationwide Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Thurston and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the work.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what should have been a simple, no chain conveyancing. Thurston is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can give?

Flying freeholds in Thurston are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Thurston you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Thurston may determine 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 residence.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Thurston. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Thurston are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Thurston so you should seriously consider looking for a Thurston conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

I purchased a 1st floor flat in Thurston, conveyancing having been completed in 2008. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in Thurston with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2080

With just 55 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £31,400 and £36,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.