I am progressing with the sale of my maisonette in Creigiau and the estate agent has just telephoned to advise that the purchasers are changing their solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a major lender only deal with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Creigiau ?

Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

Can I use your services to recommend a Conveyancing solicitor in Creigiau even where I’m not buying or selling a house, for instance where I wish to acquire an office in Creigiau with a mortgage from Barnsley Building Society?

The service is predominantly there to get a quote from domestic conveyancing solicitors in Creigiau but we have listed towards the end of this page some Creigiau commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to make contact with the company directly to see if they can also act for Barnsley Building Society

How does conveyancing in Creigiau differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Creigiau contact us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is built. This is because house builders in Creigiau usually acquire the site, 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Creigiau or who has acted in the same development.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Creigiau I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Creigiau suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

My husband and I intend to buy our 1st house in Creigiau. Conveyancing solicitor already selected. The mortgage adviser pointed out that a survey is not needed as the property is only 17 years old.

You would be well advised to have a Home Buyer's Report. Given the property is more than ten years old the property will be without a warranty, so you don't want to take a risk. For a property that age with no signs of problems a Home Buyer's report could be enough. The report should highlight any obvious problems and suggest additional investigation if appropriate. If there are any signs of problems seek a comprehensive Building Survey from the beginning.