I am buying a house mortgage free in Merthyr Tydfil. I have been residing for the previous dozen years in Merthyr Tydfil. Conveyancing searches are expensive. As I know the road and vicinity very well should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

In the absence of a home loan, then all but one or two of the Merthyr Tydfil conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your solicitor will try and steer you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches carried out, but he has a professional duty to do this. Do take into account; if you are intend to sell the house in the future, it will be of importance to your prospective buyer what the searches determine. There are plenty of instances where premises with functional issues can still reveal negative search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Merthyr Tydfil will be able to give you some sensible guidance in this regard.

Why do I have to pay up front for my conveyancing in Merthyr Tydfil?

If you are buying a property in Merthyr Tydfil your solicitor will ask you put them with funds to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. If any down payment is as part of the total price then this will be needed shortly ahead of contracts are exchanged. The final balance that is due will be payable shortly before completion.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with RBS. Merthyr Tydfil conveyancing solicitors have been appointed. How long does it take for RBS to issue the offer to the lawyer?

There is no definitive answer here. Have RBS conducted the valuation? Have you informed RBS as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the RBS conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Merthyr Tydfil off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Virgin Money. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

I have finally had an offer on a maisonette in Merthyr Tydfil agreed to, the owners do however have a dependent purchase. The vendors have placed an offer on somewhere, however it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other flats in the pipeline. I have selected a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Merthyr Tydfil. What do I do now? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with RBS?

It is understandable to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is approx one thousand pounds, then valuation, Merthyr Tydfil conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you should ensure that your conveyancer is on the RBS approved list. Concerning the subsequent steps this very much dictated by the circumstances of your transaction, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. During a rising market some home buyers will apply for a home loan with RBS and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they request their solicitor to press on with the conveyancing in Merthyr Tydfil.

I completed on my house on 10 November and my personal details is not yet on the land registry website. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in Merthyr Tydfil advises it will be formalised in a couple of weeks. Are titles in Merthyr Tydfil particularly slow to register?

As far as conveyancing in Merthyr Tydfil is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than anywhere else in the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can differ depending on the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry have to notify any interested parties. At present roughly three quarters of submission are fully addressed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be protracted delays. Historically registration takes place after the purchaser is living at the property so an expedited registration is not always an essential issue yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor can contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Merthyr Tydfil. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Merthyr Tydfil

Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified.