I am buying a garden flat in Pontcanna. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Pontcanna you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Pontcanna.

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Pontcanna. Conveyancing is required. What is next?

Now that you have exchanged you will need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor as a matter of urgency as you now have a fast approaching a drop dead date to complete the deal. An auction property should have a bespoke legal pack. This will include evidence of title and search results. Where you are dealing with leasehold premises the auction papers may provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation specific to leasehold premises. You must pass this on to the lawyer instructed by you at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that that you have the requisite funding organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

I am the single beneficiary of my late mum's will and I have everything in my name now, including the my former home in Pontcanna. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in . I now wish to sell up. I understand that there is a CML six month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship could be considered the same way as if I'd bought the house in . Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you may be affected by that. Some lenders would take a practical view as this requirement chiefly exists to capture subsales or the wholesaling and assigning of property.

It is not clear whether my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Pontcanna building society branch on a couple of occasions and was reassured it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Pontcanna conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I have no idea who is right.

As long as the is on the bank approved list, they must follow the CML Handbook requirements for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

Should my solicitor be raising enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Pontcanna.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Pontcanna. There are those who buy a house in Pontcanna, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a various checks that can be initiated by the buyer or by their conveyancers which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Pontcanna. The standard information sent to a buyer’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual inquiry of the owner to determine whether the property has ever been flooded. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the owner, then a purchaser may bring a legal claim for losses as a result of such an inaccurate reply. A purchaser’s lawyers may also commission an environmental report. This should higlight whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be initiated.

I am looking for a flat up to £305k and found one near me in Pontcanna I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Pontcanna in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage that many years will likely be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Pontcanna. Conveyancing and mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Pontcanna who previously acted has long since retired. Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Pontcanna conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I own a studio flat in Pontcanna, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Pontcanna with a long lease are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 50

You have 50 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.