My husband and I are buying a 3 bedroom apartment in Blaenau Gwent with a mortgage from HSBC Bank.We like our Blaenau Gwent conveyancing lawyer but HSBC Bank says he's not listed on their "panel". It seems we have no choice but to instruct a HSBC Bank panel lawyer or retain our local solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that HSBC Bank use our lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The home loan offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers must be on the HSBC Bank approved list. in the past, most banks had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for HSBC Bank

We are buying a detached bungalow in Blaenau Gwent. Our aim is to carry out an extension to the side at the property.Will legal work on the property include checks to see if these alterations are prohibited?

Your property lawyer should review the registered title as conveyancing in Blaenau Gwent can on occasion reveal restrictions in the title documents which prohibit categories of works or need the consent of another owner. Many works require local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. It would be sensible to check these issues with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Blaenau Gwent. I have a mortgage agreed with Virgin Money. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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 Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.

I currently have a mortgage with Kent Reliance for my property in Blaenau Gwent. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Kent Reliance?

Your original mortgage agreement with Kent Reliance will provide that you need their approval before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Kent Reliance’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Kent Reliance directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Kent Reliance conveyancing panel lawyer.

I note that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to take this when purchasing a property in Blaenau Gwent? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that could mean that owners of property living in a parish church boundary may be liable to pay for repairs to the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this appropriate for conveyancing in Blaenau Gwent?

Unless a prior purchase of the property took place after 12 October 2013 you can assume that solicitors handling conveyancing in Blaenau Gwent to remain recommending a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.

Are there common defects that you witness in leases for Blaenau Gwent properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Blaenau Gwent is not unique. Most leases are unique and drafting errors can result in certain sections are erroneous. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party. Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the premises

A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Lloyds TSB Bank, Virgin Money, 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 is problematic they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to pull out.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Blaenau Gwent - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their maintenance charge payments? The best form of lease structure is if the freehold interest is owned by the leaseholders. In this situation the leaseholders enjoy control and although a managing agent is usually employed where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. It would be prudent to discover as much as you can about the company managing the building as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day issues like the tidiness of the communal areas. You should not be shy to ask other people what they think of their management. In conclusion, be sure you discover the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and precisely what you get for your money.

We have selected a Blaenau Gwent conveyancing solicitor for our home move (novice purchasers) and have spotted in the terms and conditions that they are not governed by the Financial Conduct Authority. Should I be worried or is that usually the case with property lawyer?

We can't see why they should be. Most property lawyer don't lend money. They should be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who have stringent obligations in place on funds deposited by them.