Would the conveyancing practitioners highlighted via your ’find a lawyer’ app conduct right to buy conveyancing in Caldicot?

We work with a variety of conveyancing specialists carrying out right to buy conveyancing You should contact the lawyers listed with a view to get a conveyancing quote.

It is a dozen years since I purchased my house in Caldicot. Conveyancing lawyers have just been instructed on the sale but I can't track down the deeds. Is this a major issue?

You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by the lender or they could stored with the solicitor who oversaw your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Caldicot relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.

We are downsizing from our house in Caldicot and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. Any local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers are using a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Caldicot. We have lived in Caldicot for six years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to get clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You need to enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

I was recommended by two or three local selling agents in Caldicot to choose a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers rather than a competitor’s?

We refuse to offer any commission for sending work in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Caldicot. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I inherited a basement flat in Caldicot, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1995. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Caldicot with over 90 years remaining are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2088

With only 64 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £14,300 and £16,400 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.