Me and my partner are purchasing a house in Penylan. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a lawyer? On the day of competition we have to deposit our life savings into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I am purchasing a end of terrace house in Penylan. Our aim is to an extension at the rear at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve checks to determine if these alterations are prohibited?

Your conveyancer should review the registered title as conveyancing in Penylan will on occasion identify restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit categories of works or need the consent of another owner. Many extensions need local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be sensible to check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

I am expecting a OIP from Nationwide this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Nationwide recommend any Penylan solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?

You will need to appoint Penylan solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Nationwide through the process.

Various online forums that I have come across warn that are the main cause of hinderance in Penylan house deals. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of hindrances during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Penylan.

I am downsizing from my home. My previous solicitors has retired. It would be helpful to have a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in Penylan if that makes things easier.

Do use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in Penylan. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move runs with a minimum of fuss.

I am employed by a long established estate agent office in Penylan where we have witnessed a number of flat sales derailed as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Penylan conveyancing solicitors. Could you confirm whether the owner of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Penylan - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

How is the lease structured? The answer will be useful as a) areas may result in problems in the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where services are not paid for b) if the tenants have an issue with the managing agents you will wish to know about it The best form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees enjoy control and although a managing agent is frequently employed if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves.

We are about to exchange buying a house in Penylan but as a consequence of wreckage from the recent storms I have agreed reparation from the current proprietors of five thousand pounds taking the form of a adjustment in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process however my mortgage company will not agree to this. Why were they informed?

Any conveyancer listed on a mortgage company conveyancing panel is required to disclose to the bank of any variations to the purchase price. If you did not allow your solicitor to report the price change to your bank then they would have to disinstructing themselves from acting for you and the lender.