The sellers of the property we are purchasing have appointed a conveyancing practitioner in Harlech who has suggested a exclusivity contract with a non-refundable deposit 6,000. Is it wise to enter into such agreements?

There are a couple of primary downsides with signing a lock out agreement (sometimes termed a shut-out contract) is that it takes away the focus from progressing with the conveyancing process, so unless it requires little or no negotiation then it may turn out to be unhelpful. It is not strongly advocated by Harlech conveyancing solicitors for this reason. A further negative is the extent of the remedies available - a jilted buyer should not expect to win an injunction to prevent the owner disposing of the property to another buyer, so the only remedy available under the contract will be the recovery of abortive costs and, in rare circumstances, the extra payment of damages.

How does conveyancing in Harlech differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Harlech approach us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is built. This is because house builders in Harlech usually acquire the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Harlech or who has acted in the same development.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Harlech I like with a park and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Harlech for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.

I need to retain a conveyancing solicitor for some conveyancing in Harlech. I happened to discover a web site which appears to be the perfect answer If it is possible to get all this stuff done via phone that would be ideal. Do I need to be wary? What should out be looking out for?

As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Harlech. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Harlech - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Harlech Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before buying

The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the tenants benefit from control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is often employed if it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. What is the name of the managing agents? The majority of Harlech leasehold apartments will have a service bill for the upkeep of the building invoiced on behalf of the landlord. Should you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this charge, normally periodically accross the year. This can vary from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal areas. There will also be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a large sum, say around £25-£75 but you should to enquire it because sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds.