A colleague informed me that in purchasing a property in Wells there could be various restrictions as to what one can do in terms of external alterations to a property. Is this right?

There are a number of properties in Wells which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Wells should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I have a mortgage with Santander for my property in Wells. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Santander?

You must advise Santander prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Santander’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Santander will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Santander directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Santander conveyancing panel firm.

I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Wells. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £200. Shortly after, the lawyer contacted me to say that they were not on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Nationwide panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Me and my brother purchased a terraced Georgian house in Wells. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and TSB. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to read 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 Wells and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the position with the conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Wells is the location of the property. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Wells are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Wells you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Wells 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'm refinancing my existing home to a BTL mortgage with Coventry Building Society and intend to use the remaining equity as a deposit on another house. The area we are interested in is Wells. Will your solicitors be able to act for the two banks and tie in the two deals?

Do use our comparison tool on this site to check that the lawyers are approved by both mortgage companies. Assuming that they are your conveyancer will be able to simultaneously deal with the two conveyancing matters but you should talk with you conveyancer and make apparent your expectations and requirements.

We are contemplating appointing an online conveyancer ahead of a Wells conveyancing practice. Am I making a mistake?

Advantages do exist in having the option attend a local Wells conveyancing solicitor such as

• signing papers on short notice
• sometimes being able to see someone face-to-face can make a huge difference, particularly for non-standard transactions
• the ability to raise concerns if matters go pear-shaped

When comparing fees, look out for hidden extras. Most decent Wells high street solicitors give an all-inclusive price. Many online companies appear to offer low cost prices, but have hidden 'extras' in the fine print.