I require fast conveyancing in Barmouth as I have pressure to exchange contracts inside 3 weeks. A home loan is not required. Can I avoid the conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

As you are not obtaining a mortgage you are at liberty not to do searches although no law firm would suggest that you don't. With lots of history conveyancing in Barmouth the following are examples of issues that can appear and adversely affect the marketability of the property: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Fees, Outstanding Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

My wife and I purchased a 4 bedroom Victorian property in Barmouth. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Chelsea Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the matching address. Is it worth asking Chelsea Building Society to clarify?

You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Barmouth and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Barmouth ahead of retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor has said that some lenders may not issue a mortgage on this type of home.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can investigate further via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Barmouth. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Barmouth especially if they are familiar with such properties in Barmouth.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Barmouth which have about 50 years left on the leases. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease deteriorates and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We advise that you seek professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field.

I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Barmouth, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding properties in Barmouth with over 90 years remaining are worth £202,000. The ground rent is £60 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2082

With 56 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

I today found out that one of the directors of the law firm handling the purchase conveyancing in Barmouth is an aunty of the seller. Is this acceptable?

As long as there is no conflict of interest this is allowable. If you are obtaining mortgage finance then the mortgage company may have a say as many lenders have specific requirements concerning this. For example for RBS (One Account) as of 30/1/2026, the requirements read as follows :