My wife and I intend to remortgage our penthouse in Blackwood with Kent Reliance. We have a son 18 who lives at home. Our solicitor has asked us to disclose anyone over the age of 17 other than ourselves who lives in the flat. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, giving up any rights in the event that the property is forfeited by the lender. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this form unique to the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we remortgaged 5 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?

First, rest assured that your Kent Reliance conveyancing panel solicitor is doing the right thing as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Kent Reliance. This is solely used to protect Kent Reliance if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Kent Reliance had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

Why is leasehold purchase conveyancing in Blackwood costs more?

Blackwood leasehold conveyancing transactions usually involve additional investigations than freeholds including investigating the Lease, liaising with the Landlord such as serving relevant notices on the Landlord or managing agent, obtaining up-to-date service charge and management information, obtaining Landlord’s consents and reviewing management accounts and formation documents.

We were going to get a DIP from Nationwide this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Nationwide recommend any Blackwood solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Blackwood solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Nationwide through the process.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Blackwood. I have a mortgage offer with Co-operative. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Co-operative, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.

It is unclear whether my bank requires a lease extension. I have called my Blackwood bank branch on numerous occasions and was informed it wasn't an issue and they will lend. My Blackwood conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Your conveyancing practitioner must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook Part 2 requirements for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

Do I need to pay for insurance to cover chancel repairs when purchasing a residence in Blackwood?

Unless a prior acquisition of the house took place after 12 October 2013 you could assume that lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Blackwood to remain recommending a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.

I am looking to buy a flat and need a conveyancing solicitor in Blackwood who is on the bank approved panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a Blackwood solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for the bank who carry out conveyancing in Blackwood. We dont recommend any particular firm.