My mortgage broker says he needs my Cathays lawyer’ panel reference for the HSBC conveyancing panel. What is the best way to discover this. I have tried my local Cathays office but they cant find it on their system.

The sensible thing to do is ask for this information from your Cathays . They retain a central record lender panel numbers.

A friend informed me that in buying a property in Cathays there may be various restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to a property. Is this right?

There are a number of properties in Cathays which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Cathays should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

My husband and I have organised the release of further monies on our home loan from as we want to conduct a loft conversion to our house in Cathays. Are we obliged to select a bricks and mortar Cathays solicitor on the conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?

don't usually instruct a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the panel.

I have paid off my mortgage with . I assume I don't need a Cathays on the panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the mortgage from the register. , and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. has instructed the Land Registry to do so

How does conveyancing in Cathays differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Cathays come to us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because developers in Cathays typically buy the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Cathays or who has acted in the same development.

I was pointed in your direction by a few selling agents in Cathays to locate a conveyancer using your seach tool. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to give any commission for directing people to this site. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

I note that you have a post code search directory listing law firms on the lender conveyancing panel. Do Cathays conveyancing firms pay you a commission if I appoint them for my house purchase?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the bank conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Cathays.