Find a Lender-Approved Local Conveyancer in Totnes

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Follow your intuition—you will have a better home move where you instruct a high street solicitor in Totnes

Main reasons to let us help you select a high street conveyancing solicitor in Totnes

  • 1 Over the years Totnes solicitor have developed very good links with Totnes local estate agents, banks, building societies, landlords and property developers enabling them to liaise at speed with all parties involved in the process of undertaking your home move in Totnes.
  • 2 Totnes property lawyers have a significant advantage when it comes to Totnes conveyancing as they have important local knowledge of local authority requirements, planning policies and other issues that can affect your sale or purchase
  • 3 Using a high street Solicitor usually results in a more personalised service. When using a large conveyancing firm, you tend to be looked after by a team of people who who update you by reading from their computer screens.
  • 4 Conveyancer conveyancing firms have valuable personal connections with Totnes selling agents and work very closely with them and local surveyors so as to ensure transactions proceed expeditiously.
  • 5 On the balance of probabilities the other side’s conveyancers have offices in Totnes - if so both parties will be less confrontational

Examples of recent conveyancing in Totnes since January 2025*

Recently asked questions about conveyancing in Totnes

My partner and I are buying our first home. Our solicitor has e-mailedto see if we wish to purchase supplemental conveyancing searches. We are really unsure what's recommended for conveyancing in Totnes

The range of Totnes conveyancing searches should be dictated entirely on the premises, the location, the possibility of any of these risks, your knowledge of the locality and risks, your overall attitude to risk. What matters is that you properly appreciate what information each search could provide. Then you can decide if you consider that you need that information. Should you be in doubt, ask the conveyancer to explain.

We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from TSB as we intend to carry out renovations to our property in Totnes. Do we need to select a bricks and mortar Totnes solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

TSB don't usually require a member of 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 list.

I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in May 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Principality are being a right pain. The Totnes solicitor who is on the Principality conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Principality are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Principality have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Principality have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Principality may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

After what seems like an age I have had an offer on a flat in Totnes accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on a flat, however it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other apartments in the pipeline. I have selected a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Totnes. What should be my next step? When do I get the mortgage application with HSBC started?

It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs too early (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then valuation, Totnes conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you must check that your conveyancer is on the HSBC conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent phase this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your transaction, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. During a rising market some buyers would apply for the mortgage with HSBC and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their solicitor to proceed with the conveyancing in Totnes.

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that could impact a commercial land in Totnes?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Totnes will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers invest in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Totnes. The search result provides definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Totnes.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Totnes it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Totnes commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Totnes.

My wife and I own a semi-detached Georgian house in Totnes. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Accord Mortgages Ltd. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You should 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Totnes 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 question the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.

I am purchasing my first flat in Totnes with a mortgage from Chelsea Building Society. The developers would not reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not disclose to my lawyer about this deal as it could jeopardize my loan with Chelsea Building Society. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am using a search engine for the term cheap conveyancing in Totnes it reveals many solicitorsin the area. How do I determine which is the right property lawyer for the sale of my house?

The best way of seeking the right conveyancer is through a trusted recommendation, so ask colleagues and those you trust who have purchased a property in Totnes or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Totnes vary, so it's advisable to request at least four costs illustrations from varying types of law firms. Make sure that you know that the costs are guaranteed not to to be inflated.

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Commercial Conveyancing solicitors in Totnes regulated by the SRA

The firms listed below are a non-comprehensive list of solicitors in Totnes with expertise in commercial conveyancing in Totnes. This should include advice on buying or selling a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail unit
  • Windeatts, 19 High Street, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5NW
  • Bartons.co.uk.limited, 9 Town Quay, The Plains, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5DW
  • Knapman & Co, Dendy House, 16 Dendy Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 5DB
  • Michael W Pipe, Geneva House, 10 Dendy Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 5DB
  • Gowmans, 65 Hyde Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 5BT

Planning law solicitors in Totnes regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

The list below is a small selection of solicitors in Totnes specialising in planning law. The solicitors can give expert legal advice on all aspects of planning, including compulsory purchases in Totnes
  • Bartons.co.uk.limited, 9 Town Quay, The Plains, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5DW

Typically, Totnes conveyancing for a sale includes some of the following tasks

  • Conveyancer instructed by the owners on acceptance of the offer
  • Collating the documents evidencing the title to the property
  • Preparing contract and related papers
  • Sending draft papers to the conveyancer representing the buyer
  • Negotiating contracts and responding to additional queries from the buyer’s conveyancer
  • Negotiating the transfer deed
  • Responding to requisitions submitted by the purchaser’s conveyancer
  • Carrying out the key stage of exchanging contracts and then preparing for completion
  • Accepting the sale proceeds and wiring funds to the seller, the estate agent and redeeming the home loan (if applicable)

*Source acknowledgement: House price data produced by Land Registry as well data supplied by Lexsure Ltd.

© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of Land Registry under delegated authority from the Controller of HMSO.