I am acquiring an apartment in Gower. My lawyer is not on the bank conveyancing panel. Am I still permitted to continue with my Gower conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the mortgage company approved list?

You must have a lawyer to deal with the formalities if you need a mortgage to buy your property. They will carry out all the appropriate investigations on the property, ensuring that you will be registered as proprietor and ensure that all the required mortgage paperwork is in place. You can instruct a Gower conveyancer of your choice. However, where the lawyer appointed is not on the bank approved list additional costs will arise as separate legal representation will be required by them. Bank panel applications may be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not previously applied for membership they can do so.

At what point does exchange of contracts occur in purchase conveyancing in Gower and do I need to attend the lawyers office?

If you are local to our conveyancing solicitors in Gower you are invited in to sign the paperwork. That being said, the law practices we work with provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and provide just as comprehensive and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The executing of the property agreement is not the important part. Signing on the dotted line simply enables the solicitor to officially exchange at the appropriate time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where an extended "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Gower)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.

My wife and I have recently appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Gower. I need to find out whether they are on the Virgin Money approved list of lawyers. Can you help?

The first thing to do is call the lawyer and ask them if they are on the lender panel. Otherwise you should call Virgin Money who may be able to assist.

Just acquired a detached house in Gower , how long should it take for the Land Registry to register my ownership? My Gower conveyancing solicitor has been very slow, so I want to be certain that my name is recorded.

As far as conveyancing in Gower registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in England and Wales. Rather than based on location, timescales can vary depending on the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry have to notify any 3rd persons or bodies. Currently roughly 80% of such applications are completed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to protracted delays. Historically registration is effected once the new owner has moved in to the property therefore 'speed' is not usually primary concern yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.

Last May I purchased a leasehold house in Gower. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee 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. It is an essential part 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).

Leasehold Conveyancing in Gower - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

How long is the Lease? On the whole the outlay for major works are not built into the maintenance charges, although there some managing agents in Gower obliged leasehold owners to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against larger works. Most Gower leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the block set by the management company. If you acquire the property you will have to meet this liability, normally quarterly during the year. This may differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a large amount, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to enquire as on occasion it could be prohibitively expensive.