We are purchasing a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in Gower who is on the Skipton solicitor panel. 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 be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Skipton . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Gower.

Will our solicitor be raising enquiries concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Gower.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers dealing with homes in Gower. Plenty of people will acquire a property in Gower, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a various searches that can be carried out by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Gower. The standard completed inquiry forms supplied to a buyer’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard question of the vendor to find out whether the property has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the vendor, then a purchaser may issue a legal claim for losses as a result of such an inaccurate response. A buyer’s lawyers may also carry out an environmental report. This will reveal if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be carried out.

I opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Gower prior to retaining conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. The surveyor has said that some lenders will not issue a mortgage on such a house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Gower. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Gower to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

I have been recommended by a few estate agents in Gower to select a conveyancer on your site. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to promote your site over alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to offer any referral fee for pointing buyers and sellers to this site. We thought it would be too underhand a fee because members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

I have just appointed agents to market my basement flat in Gower. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have recently received a quarterly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the maintenance contribution as usual given that all ground rent and maintenance invoices will be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I bought a garden flat in Gower, conveyancing was carried out 5 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar properties in Gower with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2076

You have 51 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £30,400 and £35,200 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.