Are the Cornwall conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the Nottingham conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Nottingham?
Cornwall conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Nottingham directly.
About to place an offer on a leasehold flat in Cornwall. The estate agents assure me that it is the norm for flats in Cornwall to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has 72 years left.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 27/10/2025 the requirements read as follows :
Are all Cornwall Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing list of approved practices?
Some major banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their panels.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Cornwall. I have a mortgage offer with Kent Reliance. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Kent Reliance, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel.
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 Cornwall solicitor - who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Clydesdale will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Clydesdale 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 lawyer 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 Cornwall postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Clydesdale, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Cornwall.
I have todaybeen informed that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Cornwall for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 9 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is in my name in the name of the former proprietor?
The easiest way to see if the property is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Cornwall conveyancing specialists.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Cornwall is the location of the property. Can you offer any opinion?
Flying freeholds in Cornwall are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Cornwall you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Cornwall may ascertain 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 property.
I have been recommended by a number of selling agents in Cornwall to choose a solicitor using your seach tool. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to offer your services over a competitor’s?
We don’t make any commission for directing people our way. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.