All was ready to move into my new home in Cardiff next Tuesday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as as she informs me that she is duty bound to validate that it is in order for the mortgage company. What does the insurance need to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for banks would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. These obligations are not specific to conveyancing in Cardiff.

We are selling our home in Cardiff and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Cardiff conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the purchasers used an internet conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Cardiff. We have lived in Cardiff for 4 years we know of no issue. Should we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer already. Are they able to advise? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

I am purchasing my first flat in Cardiff with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative advised me not inform my conveyancer about this side-deal as it could put at risk my loan with the bank. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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 company is looking to lease a unit on the high street. Can you recommend solicitors offering fixed costs for non-domestic conveyancing in Cardiff for less than £1,200?

We are happy to recommend firms who host a wealth of experience of commercial conveyancing in Cardiff, including the sale and acquisition of businesses as well as simply premises. If you are looking to acquire or sell a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail premises or a complete business we will find you the right solicitor. Regarding the fees these will vary based on the structure and heads of terms of the deal. Please provide us with your contact information or call so as to enable us to furnish you with a fixed commercial conveyancing calculation.

What makes a Cardiff lease unmortgageable?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Cardiff. All leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain clauses are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.

You could have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Birmingham Midshires, The Mortgage Works, and Barclays Direct all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

I am the registered owner of a leasehold flat in Cardiff, conveyancing having been completed 5 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent properties in Cardiff with an extended lease are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2090

With only 65 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £13,300 and £15,400 plus costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you 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.