I am acquiring a property mortgage free in Cumbria. I have lived for the previous 20 years in Cumbria. Conveyancing searches are expensive. As I know the area and road very well must I have all the conveyancing searches?

Provided that you do not need a home loan, then almost all of the Cumbria conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your lawyer will 'advise', no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches completed, but she is duty bound to do this. Do bear in mind; if you are intend to sell the house in the future, it could be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. There are plenty of instances where properties with functional issues can still show up adverse search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Cumbria should provide you some constructive guidance in this regard.

My partner and I are downsizing from our home in Cumbria and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. A high street Cumbria conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers instructed a web based conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Cumbria. We have lived in Cumbria for 5 years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to get clarification that there is no issue.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)

four months have elapsed following my purchase conveyancing in Cumbria took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

Do I need to be concerned by estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a High Street Cumbria conveyancing company?

As with many professional services, often input from relatives can be worth their weight in gold. But there are lots of people with a keen interest in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders might all put forward lawyers to retain. On occasion the conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there exists a financial incentive behind the recommendation. You have the discretion to select your preferred conveyancer. You need to be aware that the majority of lenders specify a panel list of conveyancers you are obliged to use for the mortgage aspect of your home move.

Please set out some of distinct advantages to using a high street in Cumbria

Home movers in Cumbria prefer a nearby high street so that they can attend the firm’s offices just in case they have questions, and to collect documents without using the post.

There is a slight benefit in selecting a nearby to a house you are hoping to purchase, due to the knowledge of the area and possible local concerns - but this is moot. Many conveyancers are now over the web and may be anywhere in the world.