Our conveyancer has identified a a problem with the lease for the flat we are purchasing in Clydach. The seller’s lawyers have put forward defective title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will pay for it. Our says that he must check that the bank is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is the lender?

Regardless of the fact that you have a mortgage offer from the lender does not mean to say that the property will meet their conditions for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. You and the lender are the client. The appropriate lender conditions must be adhered to.

My wife and I are planning on selling our property in Clydach and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Clydach lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the purchasers instructed a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Clydach. We have lived in Clydach for 5 years we know of no issue. Should we contact our local Authority to obtain clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor already. Are they able to advise? You must check with 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 life insurance to cover that same sickness)

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Clydach I like with open areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Clydach suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.

I am looking into buying my first house which is in Clydach and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Clydach. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Clydach area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Clydach. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found

I only have Seventy years left on my lease in Clydach. I need to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What are my options?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent may be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Clydach.

I inherited a ground floor flat in Clydach, conveyancing was carried out 3 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Clydach with a long lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 50

With 50 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.