I plan on acquiring a ground floor flat in Taffs Well. My lawyer is not on the mortgage company approved list. Is it possible for me to retain my Taffs Well conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the mortgage company panel?

You will need to use a property lawyer to complete the formalities when you need a mortgage to buy your property. They will conduct all the necessary legal checks on the property, ensuring that you will be properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the necessary mortgage paperwork is dealt with. You could select a Taffs Well conveyancing practitioner of your choice. However, if the property lawyer appointed is not a member of the lender conveyancing panel further charges will be levied as separate legal representation will be need by the lender. Conveyancing panel applications may be submitted, so if your lawyer has not in the past applied for membership they should take the chance to apply.

I am buying a house and need a conveyancing solicitor in Taffs Well who is on the Lloyds TSB Bank approved. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Lloyds TSB Bank in certain locations such as Taffs Well. We dont recommend any particular firm.

I am purchasing my first flat in Taffs Well with a loan from Barclays Direct. The developers would not move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not to tell my lawyer about this side-deal as it could adversely affect my loan with Barclays Direct. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.

My step-father has urged me to appoint his conveyancing solicitors in Taffs Well. Do I follow his guidance?

No doubt the ideal way to find a conveyancing practitioner is to seek guidance from friends or relatives who have actually experience in using the conveyancer that you are contemplating using.

I own a leasehold flat in Taffs Well. Conveyancing was finalised in last year. I have read on various advice forums that I mustn’t allow the lease length fall too short. Is this right?

Taffs Well residential long term leases are for a fixed period - normally just under one hundred years when they started. However a significant appartments in Taffs Well were built or converted in the 70’s80’s and so these leases now have less than 80 years unexpired. This may sound like a long time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage lenders generally need leases to have at least seventy five years unexpired to adequate security. This means that when you come to sell the property you will need a lease extension if you are nearing seventy five years. To optimize your property value you should be considering whether or not to extend your lease well in advance of selling the property. Please note that there are strong financial reasons to taking action before the lease hits eighty years as when the lease falls below eighty years the premium you have to pay to extend starts to get a lot more expensive.