I am helping my step-mother sell her property in Caerleon. Does the solicitor commission the energy performance certificate or it is for the owner to see to?

Following the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy assessments was kept a required element of moving house. An energy assessment must be to hand in advance of the property being advertised. This is not something that solicitors normally arrange. Where you are using a Caerleon conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange energy performance certificates given their contacts with reputable Caerleon assessors

I happen to be the only beneficiary of my late father’s will with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Caerleon. The Caerleon property was put into my name in October. I want to move. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship may be treated the same way as if I'd bought the house in October. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The CML handbook requires conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you may be impacted by that. many banks would take a pragmatic view as this obligation is primarily there to capture subsales or the flipping of property.

I have instructed a Caerleon solicitor having checked that they are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Clydesdale will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Clydesdale 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 Caerleon postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Clydesdale, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Caerleon.

I completed on my home on 12 January and my personal details are still not on the land registry website. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in Caerleon said it would be dealt with in a couple of weeks. Are titles in Caerleon particularly slow to register?

As far as conveyancing in Caerleon is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than the rest of the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can vary subject to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry need to notify any other persons or bodies. At present in the region of 80% of such applications are fully addressed within 12 days but some can be subject to extensive hold-ups. Historically registration occurs after the purchaser has moved in to the property thus 'speed' is not always an essential issue but where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor could contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.

Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Caerleon before instructing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. Our surveyor advised that some banks will not issue a mortgage on a flying freehold premises.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements for example to Halifax. If you call us we can check via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Caerleon. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I have recently realised that I have Sixty One years left on my lease in Caerleon. I need to extend my lease but my landlord is missing. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent should be useful to try and locate and to produce an expert document which can be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Caerleon.

I own a ground floor flat in Caerleon, conveyancing was carried out March 2000. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Caerleon with an extended lease are worth £181,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2075

With 51 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £30,400 and £35,200 plus legals.

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 comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Is planning permission needed to split a house into a couple of appartments in Caerleon? This has taken place to a house opposite to a friend in Caerleon and was unaware of the conversion until it was finished.

Planning Consent yes. Building Regulations yes.