My wife and I are intending to acquire a 3 bedroom flat in Llandaff North with a mortgage. We like our Llandaff North conveyancer, but the lender advise he's not on their "panel". It appears that we have little choice but to appoint one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or keep our Llandaff North lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to represent them. We feel that this is inequitable; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Llandaff North conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

I am the only beneficiary of my late father’s will with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Llandaff North. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in October. I plan to dispose of the house. I do know about the Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship may be considered the same way as if I'd bought the property in October. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The CML handbook instructs conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you might be impacted by that. How sensible a view lenders take of it, depend on the bank as this clause principally exists to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the quick reselling of properties.

I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in January 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Principality are being problematic. The Llandaff North solicitor who is on the Principality conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Principality are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Principality have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Principality have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Principality may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

At last I have had an offer on a maisonette in Llandaff North accepted, the sellers do nevertheless have a connected purchase. The sellers have offered on a flat, however it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have instructed a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Llandaff North. What should be my next step? At what stage do I apply for the mortgage with Nationwide?

It is understandable to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (home loan application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Llandaff North conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you should ensure that your property lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Concerning the next steps this very much depends on the uniqueness of your transaction, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market some purchasers will apply for the mortgage with Nationwide and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their conveyancing practitioner to proceed with the conveyancing in Llandaff North.

I need some expedited conveyancing in Llandaff North as I am under an ultimatum to exchange contracts within 3 weeks. Luckily I do not require a mortgage. Can I decline from having conveyancing searches to save money and time?

As you are not obtaining a home loan you are at liberty not to have searches carried out although no conveyancer would recommend that you don't. With lots of history conveyancing in Llandaff North the following are examples of what can arise and therefore affect future saleability: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Charges, Outstanding Grants, Road Schemes,...

I purchased a terraced Edwardian house in Llandaff North. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and National Westminster Bank. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Llandaff North and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the conveyancing.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 72 years remaining on my flat in Llandaff North. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What should I do?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the lessor. In some cases a specialist would be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Llandaff North.

I invested in buying a 2 bed flat in Llandaff North, conveyancing having been completed in 2002. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Llandaff North with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2101

With just 77 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £7,600 and £8,800 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns 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 placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.