I am buying a house without a mortgage in Cottenham. I have resided for the previous 20 years in Cottenham. Conveyancing searches are expensive. Given that I know the area and road intimately must I have all the conveyancing searches?

In the absence of a mortgage, then almost all of the Cottenham conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your conveyancer will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches done, but she has a professional duty to take that path of guidance. Do take into account; if you are going to sell the house in the future, it may be of relevance to your future buyer what the searches disclose. On occasion premises with no practical issues can still throw up unpredicted search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Cottenham should be able to give you some sensible advice here.

This question may be naive but I am new to the house moving as FTB of a garden flat in Cottenham. Do I pick up the keys to the property on the completion date from my solicitor? If this is the case, I will use a local conveyancing solicitor in Cottenham?

On the day of completion you will not be required to attend the conveyancers office in Cottenham. Your solicitors will arrange to send the completion advance to the seller's solicitors, and once they have received this, you should be invited to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Cottenham. I have a mortgage offer with . Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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 , you will need to appoint a solicitor on the conveyancing panel.

Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Cottenham. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?

Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.

Should commercial conveyancing searches disclose proposed roadworks that may affect a commercial property in Cottenham?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Cottenham will carry out a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers spend in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Cottenham. The report 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 Cottenham.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Cottenham it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can result in delays to Cottenham commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Cottenham.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one close by in Cottenham I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Cottenham for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be problematic. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.

What is the reason for new build conveyancing in Cottenham being more expensive?

Conveyancing in Cottenham for recently converted or new build homes usually involve adoption of highways & drains, building regulations approval, planning permission, new build warranties such NHBC as well as supplemental questions and contractual considerations.