It has come to my attention via my mortgage adviser that my Caerleon the law firm I have appointed is not on the lender Solicitor panel. How can I be sure whether this is correct?

Your first step should be to contact your Caerleon lawyer directly. You lawyer should advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a Caerleon conveyancing firm that is on the approved list of lawyers for your bank.

My Caerleon conveyancer has spotted a difference between the assumptions in the valuation survey and what is in the title deeds. My lawyer says that he must check that the lender is happy with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my conveyancer’s stance legitimate?

Your solicitor must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

There are a variety of conveyancing solicitors in Caerleon but how do I know who's good?

It would be unwise to be tempted by the lowest Caerleon conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.

I am helping my step-mother sell her property in Caerleon. Does the conveyancer arrange the energy performance certificate or should I organise this?

After the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates was retained a required part of selling a house. An EPC should be commissioned in advance of the property being marketed. This is not as aspect of the sale process that conveyancers normally organise. Where you are using a Caerleon conveyancing lawyer they may be willing to arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with long established Caerleon energy assessors

I have been advised by my lawyer that missing deeds insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Caerleon?

The appropriate level of missing deeds indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between National Westminster Bank and Bank of Scotland. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.

I am buying a new build house in Caerleon with a mortgage from Yorkshire Building Society. The developers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative suggested that I not reveal to my conveyancer about the deal as it may affect my mortgage with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Are all Caerleon solicitors on every lender conveyancing panel?

The Lexsure search tool on this page may be of use or you can go into your local lender branch in Caerleon. Chances are that they will be in a position to suggest some approved conveyancing solicitors in Caerleon