Can you help? My Caernarfon solicitor is informing me me that he has toconduct Caernarfon conveyancing searches stemming from the fact thatthe firm are on the Nat Westsolicitor panel. Is this really necessary?

You have limited options available to you. As you are taking a mortgage with a bank your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your property lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook specifications . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Caernarfon conveyancing searches.

I can see plenty of here regarding conveyancing in Caernarfon but what is your top tip for choosing the right conveyancer in Caernarfon

It would be unwise to be swayed by the cheapest Caernarfon conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying 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 ahead of time.

I happen to be the only recipient of my late grandmother’s will and I have everything in my name alone, including the house in Caernarfon. The Caernarfon property was put into my name in October. I plan to dispose of the house. I understand that there is a CML 6 month 'rule', meaning my property ownership will be considered the same way as though I had purchased the property in October. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The CML handbook instructs solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you could be impacted by that. Some mortgage companies would take a practical view as this provision principally exists to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the flipping of property.

I had an offer accepted on a house in Caernarfon on 23/9/2024, valuation was booked 3 days later, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer appointed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to HSBC and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?

A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for HSBC to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the HSBC conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

I have todaybeen informed that Action Conveyancing have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Caernarfon for a purchase of a freehold house 10 months ago. How can I establish that my home is in my name in the name of the previous owner?

The easiest method to see if the property is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Caernarfon conveyancing specialists.

Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Caernarfon. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Here are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Caernarfon

Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company?

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Caernarfon from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Caernarfon can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Caernarfon leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. Should you dont have the paperwork to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer in advance. The majority of freeholders or Management Companies in Caernarfon charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Caernarfon. If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as historic as opposed to unresolved.

I invested in buying a 2 bed flat in Caernarfon, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Caernarfon with a long lease are worth £222,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2095

With just 71 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed 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. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.