Last October we completed a house move in Ponthir. We have noticed several issues with the property which we believe were missed in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? Can you clarify the nature of searches that needed to have been ordered as part of conveyancing in Ponthir?

It is not clear from the question as to the nature of the problems and if they are unique to conveyancing in Ponthir. Conveyancing searches and due diligence initiated as part of the buying process are supposed to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, a property owner fills in a document called a Seller’s Property Information Form. If the information provided is inaccurate, you may have a misrepresentation claim against the vendor for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Ponthir.

We are getting a further advance on our home loan from Santander as we intend to carry out renovations to our home in Ponthir. Are we obliged to appoint a nearby Ponthir solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

Santander would not normally instruct a member of their approved list of lawyers to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Santander panel.

I'm in the process of looking at houses in Ponthir and I am now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this stage? I will be getting a mortgage with Lloyds.

You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the estate agent. As you are obtaining a mortgage with Lloyds, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.

I can not fathom if my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Ponthir bank branch on a couple of occasions and was advised it wasn't an issue and they will lend. My Ponthir conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called and was told they will not lend in accordance with their specific requirements. Who do I believe?

As long as the lawyer is on the mortgage company panel, they must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook specifications for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

About to purchase a new build flat in Ponthir. 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 conveyancing.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Ponthir

Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Please supply a car parking plan.

I am looking into buying my first house which is in Ponthir and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Ponthir. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Ponthir area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Ponthir. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found

I have just started marketing my basement flat in Ponthir. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, however I have recently received a yearly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is discharge the invoice as you normally would as all rents and maintenance payments will be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I bought a basement flat in Ponthir, conveyancing was carried out 9 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Ponthir with an extended lease are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2089

You have 63 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.