Do I need to pop into the offices of the solicitor to execute the legal charge? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Monmouthshire so that I can attend their offices if required.

Most conveyancing panel lawyers for mortgage companies conduct their communications through Royal Mail, e-mail or over phone calls. This means that they can undertake the legal work for your home move no matter where you live in England or Wales. Nevertheless you can see if you can still book an appointment to visit conveyancing lawyer if needed.

Will our conveyancer be asking questions regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Monmouthshire.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers conducting conveyancing in Monmouthshire. There are those who acquire a house in Monmouthshire, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that can be initiated by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better appreciation of the risks in Monmouthshire. The conventional set of property information forms given to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual inquiry of the seller to discover if the property has ever been flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the owner, then a buyer may issue a compensation claim as a result of such an inaccurate reply. The purchaser’s solicitors may also carry out an environmental report. This will disclose if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional investigations should be conducted.

I completed on my home on 1 June and the transaction details is yet to be registered. Need I be worried? My conveyancing solicitor in Monmouthshire advises it should be dealt with in a couple of weeks. Are properties in Monmouthshire uniquely lengthy to register?

As far as conveyancing in Monmouthshire is concerned, registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ according to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry need to notify any other persons or bodies. As of today roughly three quarters of submission are fully addressed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be extensive hold-ups. Registration is effected after the purchaser is living at the premises thus 'speed' is not usually an essential issue yet where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers could contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.

I am buying my first flat in Monmouthshire with a loan from The Royal Bank of Scotland. The sellers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent suggested that I not to tell my lawyer about the deal as it will jeopardize my loan with The Royal Bank of Scotland. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am attracted to a couple of flats in Monmouthshire both have about fifty years left on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in Monmouthshire. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. It is often difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field.

Monmouthshire Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

How is the lease structured? Please note that where the lease has fewer than eighty years it will impact the marketability of the flat. Check with your bank that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of what this will be. For most Monmouthshirelease extensions you would need to own the property for 24 months before you are eligible to carry out a lease extension. What restrictions are there in the Monmouthshire Lease?