I am acquiring a property for cash in Gwynedd. I have been residing for the previous dozen years in Gwynedd. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. As I know the road and vicinity intimately should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

Provided that you do not need a home loan, then all but one or two of the Gwynedd conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your solicitor will try and sway you, no-doubt strongly, that you should have searches carried out, but he has a professional duty to do this. One thing to consider; if you are going to dispose of the house one day, it will be of interest to your future purchaser what the searches reveal. There are plenty of instances where houses with day to day issues can still show up negative search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Gwynedd should be able to give you some helpful guidance here.

What does a local search inform me concerning the property my wife and I buying in Gwynedd?

Gwynedd conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations for instance PSG The local search plays an important part in most Gwynedd conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your new home. The search should supply information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject sections.

About to purchase a new build flat in Gwynedd. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Gwynedd

There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. 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. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Gwynedd. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

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 ensure 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 own a studio flat in Gwynedd, conveyancing formalities finalised June 2003. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Gwynedd with over 90 years remaining are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2089

With 64 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £15,200 and £17,600 plus legals.

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

What can I do to establish who is the owner of a property in Gwynedd?

Assuming that the property is recorded at HM Land Registry, and you have the specifics of the address of the premises, you will be able to obtain results from the HMLR of the registered proprietor for a for less than a fiver.