I am acquiring a house for cash in Paignton. I have resided for the previous dozen years in Paignton. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. As I know the area and road very well should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

Provided that you do not need a mortgage, then the vast majority of the Paignton conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your lawyer will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have searches completed, but he has a professional duty to take that path of advice. One thing to consider; if you are intend to sell the house at a future date, it could be of relevance to your prospective buyer what the searches contain. There are plenty of instances where premises with functional issues can still show up unfavourable search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Paignton will provide you some helpful guidance in this regard.

Do banks and building societies provide you with an approved list of Paignton conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel?

Paignton conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Coventry BS directly.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our property are lost. The conveyancers who handled the conveyancing in Paignton 5 years ago are no longer around. Will I be able to sell the house?

These day there are copies made of almost everything, and your lawyer should be aware exactly where to look for all the relevant documentation so you can purchase or dispose of your property without a hitch. Where duplicates can’t be found, your lawyer can put in place insurance or indemnities protecting you against future claims on the property.

My husband and I are first time buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the estate agent informed us that the vendor will only issue a contract if we appoint the agent's recommended solicitors as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a high street conveyancer with experience of conveyancing in Paignton

We suspect that the seller is unaware of this demand. If they require ‘a quick sale', turning down a genuine purchaser is not the way to achieve this. Bypass the agents and go straight to the sellers and explain that (a)you are serious buyers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you are going to appoint your preferred Paignton conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will earn their negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or achieve conveyancing figures pre-set by senior management.

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Paignton conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Paignton conveyancing firm) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you talk with several firms including non Paignton conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be useful:

What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing? What volume of lease extensions has the firm completed in Paignton in the last twenty four months?

I inherited a garden flat in Paignton, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Paignton with over 90 years remaining are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2089

You have 65 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.