Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my home are lost. The solicitors who did the conveyancing in Blaenau Gwent 10 years ago have long since closed. Will I be able to sell the house?

Assuming you have a registered title the details of your proprietorship will be evidenced by HMLR under a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, locate your property and obtain up to date copies of the property title for less than a fiver. Where the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally hold a certified copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for £20 inclusive of VAT.

How does conveyancing in Blaenau Gwent differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Blaenau Gwent approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because developers in Blaenau Gwent tend to acquire the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Blaenau Gwent or who has acted in the same development.

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one near me in Blaenau Gwent I like with amenity areas and station nearby, however it's only got 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Blaenau Gwent suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage that many years may be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Blaenau Gwent. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I purchased a 1st floor flat in Blaenau Gwent, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2004. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Blaenau Gwent with an extended lease are worth £175,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 2080

With only 58 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £23,800 and £27,400 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Midway through the sale of a leasehold flat in Blaenau Gwent. Conveyancing solicitors are doing their job but we are being charged an extortionate amount by the landlord. To date we have paid £225 for a leasehold management pack and then a further £134.40 for additional queries raised by the purchaser's solicitor.

Your lawyer will unlikely have any control over the level of the bill for this information but the average fee for the information for Blaenau Gwent leasehold property is £350. For Blaenau Gwent conveyancing transactions it is usual for the seller to cover the charges. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer these questions most will agree to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no statute that requires capped charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any prescriptive time limit by which they are duty bound to provide the information.