My wife and I are planning to buy a house in Llanfechain and have appointed a Llanfechain conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Santander have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Llanfechain solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is usual for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Llanfechain solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

Our lender has suggested solicitors on their panel based in Llanfechain but I would rather choose a conveyancing lawyer in Llanfechain or nearer to where I live. Can you help?

Not all Llanfechain conveyancing solicitors are approved and listed on all banks conveyancing panel. Use our find an approved solicitor tool to choose a Llanfechain conveyancing conveyancer on the on the bank panel.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Llanfechain. Now, I need the documents however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Llanfechain of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Llanfechain prior to instructing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will refuse to give a mortgage on this type of premises.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions from Nationwide. If you call us we can check via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Llanfechain. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Llanfechain especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Llanfechain.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Llanfechain with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Llanfechain can be avoided if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale. The majority of freeholders or managing agents in Llanfechain charge for providing management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Llanfechain. If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Organising a replacement share certificate can be a lengthy formality and slows down many a Llanfechain home move. Where a reissued share is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

I own a ground floor flat in Llanfechain, conveyancing formalities finalised February 2000. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Llanfechain with a long lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2086

With only 62 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £17,100 and £19,800 as well as costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.