I am purchasing a property without a mortgage in Gorseinon. I have lived for the previous dozen years in Gorseinon. Conveyancing searches are a lot of money. As I know the area and road very well must I have all the conveyancing searches?
If you not getting a mortgage, then almost all of the Gorseinon conveyancing searches are at your discretion. Your solicitor will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches done, but she is duty bound to take that path of advice. One thing to take into account; if you are likely to dispose of the house at a future date, it may be of relevance to your future purchaser what the searches disclose. On occasion properties with functional issues can still throw up unexpected search results. A competent conveyancing solicitor in Gorseinon will provide you some practical advice in this regard.
As a first time buyer what is the most important piece of guidance you can impart concerning purchase conveyancing in Gorseinon?
You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Gorseinon and elsewhere in Swansea is often a confrontational experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of opportunity for conflict between you and others involved in the house moving process. E.g., the seller, selling agent and on occasion the lender. Selecting a solicitor for your conveyancing in Gorseinon an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY party in the transaction whose responsibility is to look after your best interests and to protect you.
Every so often a potential adversary will attempt to sway you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For instance, the selling agent may claim to be assisting by claiming that your conveyancer is slow. Or your mortgage broker may try to convince you to do something that is against your solicitors guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.
Is it the case that all Gorseinon CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Skipton conveyancing panel?
It is true that some lenders now utilise CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their panels.
We previously appointed conveyancing lawyers locally in Gorseinon on the Leeds Building Society solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me a further sum for dealing with the Leeds Building Society mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Leeds Building Society?
Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your conveyancing practitioner may levy a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Leeds Building Society but by your Gorseinon conveyancer. Plenty of firms on the Leeds Building Society panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Gorseinon solicitor - who is on the Skipton conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Skipton will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Skipton 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 Gorseinon 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.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Gorseinon ahead of instructing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will refuse to issue a mortgage on this type of home.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements for example to Halifax. If you contact us we can investigate further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Gorseinon. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
I would like to let out my leasehold flat in Gorseinon. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?
Notwithstanding that your previous Gorseinon conveyancing solicitor is not around you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to seek consent from your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet without first obtaining consent. The consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.
I inherited a garden flat in Gorseinon, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Gorseinon with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2075
You have 51 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £30,400 and £35,200 plus costs.
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. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns 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 without first getting professional advice.
I bought a house in Gorseinon last 6/2/2023 and to date it is still not recorded with the Land Registry. It was part of a new estate and my conveyancing practitioner told me that it may take twelve months to register. I have spoken with the Land Registry directly and they say that the original application was cancelled due to failure to reply to requisitions. What can I do?
It is your solicitor that you should turn to here in order to satisfy any questions which have arisen as part of the registration process for your Gorseinon property. Normal Gorseinon conveyancing practice includes an undertaking on the part of the seller's solicitor that they will help resolve any requirements raised by HMLR so it may be a case of seeking to enforce that undertaking if necessary.