I am buying a garden flat in Llandudno. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Llandudno you will have to appoint a solicitor on your mortgage company's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Llandudno.

Will my solicitor be raising enquiries concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Llandudno.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers conducting conveyancing in Llandudno. There are those who purchase a house in Llandudno, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that can be undertaken by the buyer or by their lawyers which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in Llandudno. The conventional set of information sent to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a standard question of the seller to find out whether the property has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred which is not disclosed by the vendor, then a buyer may commence a legal claim for losses as a result of such an inaccurate response. The purchaser’s solicitors may also conduct an enviro search. This should indicate whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional investigations should be initiated.

I am looking for a conveyancing solicitor in Llandudno for my purchase. Can I review a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?

You may read published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For details Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes monitor call for training reasons.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Llandudno. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation 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. Strange as it may seem, 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 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 purchased a leasehold flat in Llandudno, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Llandudno with over 90 years remaining are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2094

With 69 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

How easy is it to change a solicitor as I need to find a Llandudno based conveyancer who is on the lender conveyancing panel. How simple is it to change conveyancer?

In the event that you have not formally appointed a solicitor to commence the conveyancing and at this stage simply received an estimate as to costs, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer in Llandudno that you're thinking of instructing.