I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and have to be out of my rented apartment in Caerphilly by 22/12/2025. Conveyancing on my purchase is progressing. Is it possible to complete in 5 weeks as don't want to have to find temporary accommodation?

Generally one should not give notice on a rental until you have exchanged. Assuming that you have not previously done so, update to your conveyancer and ask them to they chase the owners lawyers, try to an acceptable time-line that all parties will work to achieve

How does conveyancing in Caerphilly differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Caerphilly come to us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is constructed. This is because new home sellers in Caerphilly typically buy the land, 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 Caerphilly or who has acted in the same development.

How do I locate a Caerphilly solicitor on the Barclays Direct conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am willing to travel upto 25kilometers to meet the solicitor.

You can use the tool on this website. Please select a bank and your location and you will see a number of Caerphilly conveyancing lawyers locally. We have detailed some Caerphilly conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can telephone them to see whether they are on the Barclays Direct panel

Helen (my wife) and I may need to rent out our Caerphilly basement flat temporarily due to a new job. We instructed a Caerphilly conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Your lease dictates relations between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will set out if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. Most leases in Caerphilly do not prevent an absolute prevention of subletting – such a provision would adversely affect the market value the property. Instead, there is usually a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

I acquired a 2 bed flat in Caerphilly, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding flats in Caerphilly with over 90 years remaining are worth £185,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2084

With only 59 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £20,900 and £24,200 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should 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 you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

What do I do if I am not happy with the lawyer who undertook our conveyancing in Caerphilly?

We live in an imperfect world, and unfortunately every so often things do go wrong. Nevertheless there is recourse if you were unhappy with your conveyancing in Caerphilly. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a solicitor to their regulator. If things still aren’t resolved you may consider enlisting the help of the Legal Ombudsman.