We're in Gwernaffield, First timers buying with a mortgage (lender is Nationwide , and our lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no solicitor should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

When it comes to lenders such as Principality, do Gwernaffield property lawyers incur an annual charge to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are not aware of any bank fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

Is it the case that all Gwernaffield conveyancing solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the Aldermore approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Some banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be governed by the CLC.

After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Gwernaffield. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their solicitor. I paid an advanced payment of £150. Shortly after, the property lawyer called me to say that they were not on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Skipton panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Me and my brother have a renovated Victorian house in Gwernaffield. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Lloyds TSB Bank. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Gwernaffield 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 lenders. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the conveyancing.

I was advised by a couple of local estate agents in Gwernaffield to choose a conveyancer on your site. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to offer your services over another?

We don’t give any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We thought it would be too underhand 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.

Are there common problems that you witness in leases for Gwernaffield properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Gwernaffield is not unique. Most leases are drafted differently and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain clauses are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the premises Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Barclays , Barnsley Building Society, and TSB all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to withdraw.

I own a ground floor flat in Gwernaffield, conveyancing formalities finalised January 1996. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Gwernaffield with an extended lease are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2105

With 80 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £7,600 and £8,800 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.