We are purchasing a house and need a conveyancing solicitor in Lampeter who is on the Kent Reliance solicitor panel. Can you recommend a local solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Kent Reliance . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Lampeter.

I am mortgaging my flat in Lampeter, does my lawyer have to be on the Bank of Ireland Solicitor panel?

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Bank of Ireland will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is greater potential for delays and confusion with two solicitors involved, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

I used Stirling Law a few years ago for my conveyancing in Lampeter. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Lampeter of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Lampeter prior to instructing lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend not give a mortgage on such a premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions from Nationwide. If you call us we can investigate further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Lampeter. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Lampeter especially if they are familiar with such properties in Lampeter.

I am attracted to a two flats in Lampeter both have in the region of fifty years unexpired on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Lampeter is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the value of the property. The majority of purchasers and banks, leases with less than 75 years become less and less attractive. 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 Lampeter 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 the agreed 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.

Lampeter Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Please note if it is no more than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the value of the property. It is worth checking with your bank that they are content with residual term of the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth discovering how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will be be obliged to have been the owner of the property for two years in order to be legally able to extend the lease. The best form of lease structure is where the freehold reversion is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this situation the lessees enjoy being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is usually retained if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Many Lampeter leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the building set by the landlord. Should you buy the apartment you will have to meet this contribution, usually periodically throughout the year. This could be anything from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, normally this is not a exorbitant amount, say around £50-£100 but you need to check it because on occasion it could be surprisingly expensive.