Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Prestatyn is not identified on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of her conveyancing?

That would most likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the Prestatyn conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

It is a dozen years since I purchased my home in Prestatyn. Conveyancing lawyers have just been instructed on the sale but I am unable to track down my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be retained by your lender or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in your purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Prestatyn relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.

I'm buying my first flat in Prestatyn with the aid of help to buy. The developers would not reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The property agent advised me not disclose to my lawyer about the side-deal as it will put at risk my loan with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £305k and identified one close by in Prestatyn I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Prestatyn in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

I’m about to sell my 2 bed flat in Prestatyn. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have recently received a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you discharge the maintenance contribution as normal as all rents and service payments should be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, 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.

Prestatyn Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

The answer will be useful as a) areas could cause problems for the block as the common areas may start to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the managing agents you will wish to have full disclosure The prefered form of lease structure is where the freehold interest is owned by the leaseholders. In this arrangement the leaseholders benefit from being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is often employed if the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. Where a Prestatyn lease has fewer than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the apartment. Check with your lender that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. For most Prestatynlease extensions you would be be obliged to have been the owner of the premises for 24 months before you are entitled to extend the lease.