I am hoping to receive a mortgage offer from Santander. My intention is to enlist the help of a Licensed Conveyancer in Truro. Does the Santander Solicitor panel allow for Licensed Conveyancers?

The Santander conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, represented by the CML or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to pop into the offices of the solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Truro so that I can attend their offices if required.

As opposed to twenty years ago, almost all lenders no longer need their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the mortgagors signature. It will still be necessary for you to supply ID documents and there are still manifest advantages to instructing a local practitioner, in your situation a conveyancing solicitor in Truro.

There are plenty of conveyancing solicitors in Truro but how do I know who's good?

It would be unwise to be seduced by the cheapest Truro conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

I'm the sole recipient of my late grandmother’s will and I have everything in my name alone, including the my former home in Truro. The Truro property was put into my name in November. I plan to dispose of the property. I understand that there is a CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship may be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the house in November. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook requires solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you might be caught by that. Some mortgage companies would take a practical view as this requirement is principally there to identify subsales or the flipping of properties.

We were going to get a OIP from Kent Reliance this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Kent Reliance recommend any Truro solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Truro solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Kent Reliance through the process.

The deeds to our home can not be found. The conveyancers who did the conveyancing in Truro 10 years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?

As long as the title is registered the information relating to your proprietorship will be held by HMLR with a Title Number. It is easy to conduct a search at the Land Registry, identify your house and obtain up to date copies of the Registered Entries for a small fee. Where the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually hold a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for a small fee.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Truro. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Truro ?

The majority of houses in Truro 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. We note that you are purchasing in Truro so you should seriously consider looking for a Truro conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

I inherited a basement flat in Truro, conveyancing formalities finalised 6 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar properties in Truro with an extended lease are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2085

With only 61 years unexpired the likely cost is going to be between £19,000 and £22,000 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns 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 before getting professional advice.