I am about to put an offer on a leasehold apartment in Bargoed. The property agents advise that it is the norm for flats in Bargoed to have less than 75 years remaining. I am getting a loan with Virgin. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has Seventy One years unexpired.

Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 21/2/2025 the requirements read as follows :

I am assisting my niece sell her flat in Bargoed. Will the conveyancing solicitor arrange the energy assessment or do I organise this?

Following the abolition of HIPs, energy performance certificates was maintained a mandatory element of moving house. An energy assessment needs to be commissioned in advance of the property being advertised. This is not a task that lawyers ordinarily arrange. Where you are using a Bargoed conveyancing solicitor they might be willing to arrange EPC’s given their contacts with reputable local providers

A relative advised me that in purchasing a property in Bargoed there could be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to a property. Is this right?

We are aware of a number of properties in Bargoed which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Bargoed should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

We had instructed conveyancers based in Bargoed on the Principality solicitor panel. They are now charging me an additional sum for the legal aspects of the Principality mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Principality?

As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your property lawyer can levy a fee for this. This fee is not set by Principality but by your Bargoed solicitor. Numerous firms on the Principality panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.

I am close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our home in Bargoed and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a nationwide conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Bargoed. We have lived in Bargoed for three years we know that this is a non issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to get confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)

I am buying a new build flat in Bargoed. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Bargoed

Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. Please supply a car parking plan.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Bargoed. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part 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 purchased a basement flat in Bargoed, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding properties in Bargoed with an extended lease are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2095

With just 70 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.