My husband and I are approaching an exchange on a flat in Borth and Talybont and my mum and dad have transferred the exchange deposit to my conveyancer. I am now told that as the deposit has been received from someone other than me my conveyancing practitioner needs to make a notification to my lender. Apparently, in also acting for the lender he must advise them that the balance of the purchase price is coming from anyone other than me. I advised the mortgage company regarding my parents' contribution when I applied for the home loan, so is it really appropriate for him to raise this?

The conveyancer is duty bound to clarify with lender to ensure that they know that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own resources. Your solicitor can only disclose this to your lender if you permit them to, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

In reading consumer advice sites for a conveyancing lawyer in Borth and Talybont, many post that I should use a CQS assured lawyer. Can you explain what CQS is?

The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised kitemark for legal experts in the legal transfer of properties, trusted by some of the UK's leading banks. In 2011-12 the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The scheme does not cover licenced conveyancers. Borth and Talybont is one of the numerous areas of the UK where there are CQS lawyers.

I have been told that property searches are the main cause of delay in Borth and Talybont house deals. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the most frequent causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Borth and Talybont.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my property are lost. The lawyers who did the conveyancing in Borth and Talybont 5 years ago have long since closed. What do I do?

As long as the title is registered the details of your ownership will be documented by the Land Registry with a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, locate your house and secure up to date copies of the property title for less than a fiver. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases hold a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for twenty pounds.

I am attracted to a two maisonettes in Borth and Talybont which have approximately forty five years unexpired on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Borth and Talybont is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the value of the property. For most purchasers and banks, leases with under eighty years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Borth and Talybont conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I acquired a 1 bedroom flat in Borth and Talybont, conveyancing formalities finalised 8 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Borth and Talybont with an extended lease are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2096

With only 70 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.