We previously chose solicitors located in Barry on the Bank of Ireland solicitor panel. They have just billed me a further fee for the legal aspects of the Bank of Ireland mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Bank of Ireland?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner can levy a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Bank of Ireland but by your Barry solicitor. Numerous firms on the Bank of Ireland panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but many firms incorporate it on their overall fee.

Can I be sure that the Barry conveyancing solicitor on the RBS panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Barry getting recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor handling your transaction.

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

Aldermore will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Aldermore 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. Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Barry postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Aldermore, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Barry.

I got the keys to my house on 1 January and the transaction details is not yet on the land registry website. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Barry advises it should be formalised inside ten days. Are transfers in Barry particularly slow to register?

As far as conveyancing in Barry registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in the country. Rather than based on location, timescales can vary subject to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any other parties. At present approximately three quarters of such applications are fully dealt with in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be longer delays. Historically registration is effected after the purchaser is living at the premises so an expedited registration is not typically an essential issue yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor must contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.

Am I right to be suspicious by brokers that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use an online conveyancing firm rather than a local Barry conveyancing firm?

As with many professional services, often input from family and friends can be extremely useful or valuable. Yet there are lots of people with a keen interest in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders might all suggest lawyers to appoint. Sometimes these conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there may be a financial incentive behind the endorsement. You have the discretion to select your own lawyer. You need to be aware that many lenders have an approved list of solicitors you are obliged to use for the mortgage related work in your transaction.

Are there frequently found defects that you encounter in leases for Barry properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Barry. Most leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain clauses are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

A duty to insure the building Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.

You may encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. HSBC Bank, Skipton Building Society, and Barclays Direct all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

I own a split level flat in Barry, conveyancing was carried out in 2012. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Barry with an extended lease are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2090

With 65 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £13,300 and £15,400 plus legals.

The suggested premium range 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 detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

Do I cancel the direct debit for my mortgage with Leeds Building Society once a completion date for my sale in Barry has been set?

You are best advised to keep paying any mortgage payments to Leeds Building Society until the mortgage is paid off out of the proceeds of sale as part of your Barry conveyancing.