We had selected conveyancers located in Ruabon on the HSBC solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a separate amount for handling the HSBC mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by HSBC?

As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your property lawyer can levy a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by HSBC but by your Ruabon solicitor. Some firms on the HSBC panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee but some firms incorporate it on their overall fee.

My husband and I are spending time viewing houses in Ruabon and I am about to put in an offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I am planning to take a mortgage with Aldermore.

You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. As you are taking out a mortgage with Aldermore, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

Having read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Ruabon solicitor - who is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Yorkshire BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Yorkshire BS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Ruabon surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

4 months have gone by following my purchase conveyancing in Ruabon concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £215,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one close by in Ruabon I like with a park and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in Ruabon suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you can ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

We are a couple of weeks into a residential purchase having been recommend to a firm by the selling agent to carry out the conveyancing in Ruabon. I am not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new lawyers?

A solicitor would need to be very poor to suggest changing them. Has the mortgage been sent? If so you will need to inform them of the new conveyancer and get the mortgage documents are re-sent. Your conveyancer needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid escalating charges and frustration. So that should be your first question of the new lawyers. Our search tool will assist you in finding a bank approved conveyancer for your conveyancing in Ruabon

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Ruabon. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Ruabon ?

Most houses in Ruabon are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Ruabon in which case you should be looking for a Ruabon conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

Ruabon Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Does the lease include onerous restrictions? It would be sensible to find out as much as you can about the company managing the block as they can either make your life much simpler or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day matters like the cleanliness of the communal areas. You should not be afraid to ask prospective neighbours what they think of their management. Finally, investigate as to the dates that the service fees are due to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money. How is the lease structured?