Do lenders provide you with an approved list of Cowbridge conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel?

Cowbridge conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Nationwide directly.

Do I have to pop into the offices of the solicitor to execute the legal charge? If so, I will instruct a firm who offer conveyancing in Cowbridge so that I can attend their offices if required.

These days conveyancing panel lawyers for lenders carry out their work through the post, internet or over phone calls. This means that they can undertake the legal work for your home move no matter where you live in England or Wales. That being said you should check if you have the option of attending the offices of your conveyancing lawyer if you prefer.

Please help - my lawyer says that lack of building regulations insurance is required on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Cowbridge conveyancing?

The right level of lack of building regulations indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between HSBC Bank and Coventry Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.

I am expecting a DIP from Kent Reliance this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Kent Reliance recommend any Cowbridge solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Cowbridge solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Kent Reliance through the process.

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Cowbridge. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their conveyancer. I paid an on account payment of £225. A few days later, the conveyancing practitioner called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Lloyds panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

My friend advised me that where I am purchasing in Cowbridge I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is occasionally included in the estimate for your Cowbridge conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about Cowbridge around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Cowbridge Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Cowbridge Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Cowbridge.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years remaining on my flat in Cowbridge. I am keen to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What are my options?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent should be helpful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Cowbridge.

I purchased a 2 bed flat in Cowbridge, conveyancing was carried out June 2005. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Cowbridge with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2077

You have 52 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.