We are a couple about to sign contracts for a leasehold flat in Deeside. We have hit a stumbling block. The loan offer with Leeds Building Society expires on 1/4/2025 but the owners are suggesting a completion date of 3/4/2025. Can one prolong the loan expiry date?

The person best placed to deal with your concern is your conveyancer who should determine whether they corresponding with the bank, vendor’s conveyancers, selling agents or conceivably all three taking into account what has gone on in your conveyancing to date.

We are purchasing a flat in Deeside. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a solicitor? On the day of competition we have to put money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our monies?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with TSB. Deeside conveyancing lawyers are selected. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from TSB?

There is no definitive answer here. Have TSB conducted the valuation? Have you advised TSB as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the TSB conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

I have a mortgage with Yorkshire BS for my property in Deeside. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Yorkshire BS?

You must advise Yorkshire BS in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Yorkshire BS’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Yorkshire BS directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel solicitor.

The deeds to my home can not be found. The solicitors who dealt with the conveyancing in Deeside 5 years ago no longer exist. What are my next steps?

These day there are duplicates made of almost everything, and your lawyer will be aware precisely where to locate all the suitable documentation so you may purchase or sell your house without any difficulty. If duplicates can’t be found, your conveyancer may be able to put in place insurance or indemnities against possible claims on your premises.

I am attracted to a two flats in Deeside both have approximately fifty years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Deeside. The lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage lenders may be unwilling to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area.

Deeside Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider before buying

Generally speaking the outlay for major works tend not to be built into the maintenance charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Deeside obliged tenants to contribute towards a sinking fund created for the specific intention of establishing a fund for major repairs or maintenance. You should want to find out as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day matters such as the tidiness of the common parts. Enquire of other tenants if they are happy with their service. Finally, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically how they are spending the funds. Who are the managing agents?

Is it true that a Deeside conveyancing practice has court proceedings brought against them by a client for failing to conduct the appropriate conveyancing searches?

We are not aware of such a Deeside conveyancing claim but it has been reported that, a couple purchasing a home in Cumbria successfully sued their conveyancing practitioner as a consequence of development plans to construct a wind farm failing to be identified in conveyancing searches.

Where you are purchasing in Deeside It is critical that your conveyancing practitioner purchase all Deeside conveyancing searches required to ensure you have accurate and up to date information ahead of acquiring a home in Deeside.