I am buying a house mortgage free in Abercarn. I have resided for the last 20 years in Abercarn. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. As I have knowledge of the area and road intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

Provided that you do not need a mortgage, then the vast majority of the Abercarn conveyancing searches are optional. Your conveyancer will 'advise', perhaps strongly, that you should have searches completed, but she is duty bound to do this. Do take into account; if you are intend to sell the house at a future date, it will likely be be of importance to your prospective purchaser what the searches determine. Sometimes premises with day to day issues can still reveal adverse search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Abercarn should provide you some practical guidance in this regard.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Abercarn I like with a park and station in the vicinity, however it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Abercarn for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

Should you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

I was recommended by two or three local property agents in Abercarn to locate a solicitor using your seach tool. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to promote your services over a competitor’s?

We don’t give any referral fee for sending work in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because a client could think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

As co-executor for the estate of my father I am selling a property in Swansea but live in Abercarn. My solicitor (who is 235 miles awayrequires that I sign a stat dec prior to completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing practitioner in Abercarn who can witness this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Abercarn based

I am purchasing a flat with all finances in place. I have provided lawyer with 2 separate forms of photographic identification, bank statement, multiple utility bills. Now he wants a copy from a probate lawyer advising that the funds are in order and that it has come from inheritance and not dealing E's in Ibiza.

For some years now requires conveyancing solicitors as well as banks, building societies and other financial institutes to obtain satisfactory evidence of the identity of the client. This is because solicitors who deal with money and property on behalf of their clients can be used by criminals wishing to launder money. In order to comply with the law of money laundering, your Abercarn conveyancing lawyer will need to obtain evidence of your identity as as well as make sure that your funds are legitimate.