I am purchasing a property for cash in Haverfordwest. I have resided for the last 15 years in Haverfordwest. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. As I have knowledge of the area and road intimately must I have all the conveyancing searches?

Provided that you do not need a home loan, then all but one or two of the Haverfordwest conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your solicitor will try and steer you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches carried out, but she is duty bound to do this. Do bear in mind; if you are going to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future purchaser what the searches determine. On occasion premises with functional issues can still reveal unexpected search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Haverfordwest will be able to give you some sensible guidance here.

What is the first thing I need to know about purchase conveyancing in Haverfordwest?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Haverfordwest and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of room for friction between you and other parties involved in the transaction. For instance, the vendor, estate agent and sometimes your lender. Choosing a law firm for your conveyancing in Haverfordwest an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY person in the transaction whose responsibility is to protect your legal interests and to keep you safe.

We are witnessing a distinct ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone has to be blamed for the process taking so long. You must always trust your solicitor ahead of all other parties in the home moving process.

I am being advised by my lawyer that lack of right of way insurance is required on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Haverfordwest conveyancing?

The appropriate level of lack of right of way indemnity insurance should be dictated by who who your lender is. It would differ for example between Yorkshire Building Society and Leeds Building Society. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to borrowers take out such policies.

We are getting the release of further funds on our mortgage from Clydesdale as we wish to conduct a loft conversion to our home in Haverfordwest. Are we obliged to choose a local Haverfordwest solicitor on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

Clydesdale don't usually instruct firms on their approved list of lawyers 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 Clydesdale conveyancing panel.

I am expecting a AIP from RBS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any Haverfordwest solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Haverfordwest solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.

How does conveyancing in Haverfordwest differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Haverfordwest contact us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because house builders in Haverfordwest usually acquire the land, 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Haverfordwest or who has acted in the same development.

Last August I purchased a leasehold flat in Haverfordwest. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I own a 1 bedroom flat in Haverfordwest, conveyancing having been completed March 1996. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable properties in Haverfordwest with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2078

You have 53 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.