Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to pop into the offices of the solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Llanrwst so that I can pop in to their offices if necessary.

As opposed to twenty years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel lawyer to witness the mortgagors signature. You will still be obliged to provide identification documents and there are still manifest benefits to choosing a locally based solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Llanrwst.

A friend recommended that if I am buying in Llanrwst I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Llanrwst conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out important information about Llanrwst around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Llanrwst.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Llanrwst I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Llanrwst in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing practitioner in Llanrwst for my house move. Is there any facility to review a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

You may see presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes monitor call for training purposes.

There are only 62 years unexpired on my lease in Llanrwst. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. For most situations a specialist may be helpful to carry out a search and to produce a report to be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Llanrwst.

I acquired a garden flat in Llanrwst, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable properties in Llanrwst with an extended lease are worth £206,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2085

With only 66 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £11,400 and £13,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.