My property lawyer in Caerphilly has never been on on the Barnsley Building Society Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to use my prefered solicitor even though they are excluded from the Barnsley Building Society list of approved lawyers?

The limited options open to you here include:

1. Complete the purchase with your existing Caerphilly solicitors but Barnsley Building Society will need to instruct a lawyer on their list of acceptable firms. This will inevitably rack up the overall conveyancing fees as well as cause delays.
2. Choose an alternative lawyer to act in the purchase, remembering to check they are Persuade your solicitor to do everything within their powers to join the Barnsley Building Society conveyancing panel

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one round the corner in Caerphilly I like with a park and station nearby, however it only has 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Caerphilly in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be an issue. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities 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 speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.

Is it possible to swap conveyancer as I need to choose one who is on the Platform Home Loans Ltd conveyancing list. I had appointed a local conveyancing solicitor in Caerphilly round the corner but she is not approved by Platform Home Loans Ltd

It would be our pleasure to assist you select a conveyancing solicitor in Caerphilly on the Platform Home Loans Ltd panel. Please note that the law firms that we work with do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Caerphilly. Using search facility on this site, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Caerphilly.

We are a couple of weeks into a leasehold purchase having been recommend to a firm by the local agent to carry out the conveyancing in Caerphilly. We are not happy. Could you you assist me in finding new lawyers?

They would have to be really bad to suggest diss instructing them. Has your mortgage been issued? In the event that it has you need to inform them of the new contact details and ensure the offer are issued to the new lawyers. Your solicitor ideally needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid supplemental expenses and complications. So that should be your first question of the new conveyancers. The find a solicitor tool can assist you in finding a lender approved conveyancer for your home move in Caerphilly

I am looking at a two apartments in Caerphilly both have in the region of fifty years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in Caerphilly. The lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease deteriorates and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field.

Caerphilly Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying

It would be wise to find out as much as you can about the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day matters like the tidiness of the communal areas. You should not be afraid to ask other people what they think of them. Finally, be sure you know the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money. How many years remain on the lease? Best to be warned whether changing the roof or some other major work is due shortly to be shared by the leasehold owners and will materially impact the level of the service fees or result in a one time invoice.