I have been referred to a conveyancing solicitor in Llanarth. I I would like to check if they are on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd approved list of lawyers. Could you help?

The first thing to do is call your conveyancer and ask them whether they are on the lender panel. Alternatively you should call Godiva Mortgages Ltd who may be able to help.

My partner and I are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in Llanarth and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Llanarth conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers instructed a web based conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Llanarth. Having lived in Llanarth for 4 years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to obtain clarification that there is no issue.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Llanarth prior to instructing lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some banks may not grant a mortgage on such a home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Llanarth. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Llanarth to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

Is it best to go with a Llanarth conveyancing solicitor based in the area that I am buying? I have an old university friend who can handle the conveyancing but they are based a couple of hundredmiles away.

The primary upside of using a local Llanarth conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to sign paperwork, hand in your ID and pester them if necessary. They will also have local insight which is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have used your friend and in the main were content that must trump using an unfamiliar Llanarth conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being based in the area.

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Llanarth conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Llanarth conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you make enquires with several firms including non Llanarth conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be helpful:

What volume of lease extensions has the firm conducted in Llanarth in the last year?

I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Llanarth, conveyancing was carried out in 2007. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar flats in Llanarth with over 90 years remaining are worth £185,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2085

With 60 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £20,000 and £23,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.