In the event thatI were to purchase a freehold housein Paignton for cash and have no survey and no conveyancing searches how much could I expect to to save on my conveyancing in Paignton?

Any savings you would achieve will be limited to the disbursement for searches. A conveyancing practitioner is obliged to do the vast majority of work - money laundering, correspond with your vendors conveyancer, SDLT return, register the ownership etc. A slight saving might be made by not needing to register a mortgage but it will not be a lot.

We are buying a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Paignton who is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Nationwide . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Paignton.

We are getting the release of further monies on our mortgage from TSB as we intend to carry out renovations to our home in Paignton. Do we need to appoint a local Paignton solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel to handle the legals?

TSB do not ordinarily instruct firms on their approved list of lawyers to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the TSB conveyancing panel.

I currently have a mortgage with Clydesdale for my property in Paignton. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Clydesdale?

You must advise Clydesdale in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Clydesdale’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Clydesdale directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Clydesdale conveyancing panel lawyer.

I've digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Paignton solicitor - who is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Aldermore will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Aldermore will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your solicitor will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Paignton postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Aldermore, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Paignton.

I am looking for a flat up to £305k and found one near me in Paignton I like with open areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Paignton suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be problematic. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my commercial property in Paignton and how can your lawyers assist?

The 1954 Act gives a safeguard to business tenants, granting the a statutory right to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease comes to an end. There are certain specified grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are involved. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Paignton is one of the hundreds of locations in which our lawyers are based