Me and my fiance are purchasing a 2 bedroom apartment in Pantymwyn with a mortgage. We have a Pantymwyn conveyancer, but the bank advise she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel firms or keep our Pantymwyn solicitor as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. We feel that this is inequitable; are we not able to demand that the lender use our Pantymwyn solicitor ?

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 lender’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 Pantymwyn conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one close by in Pantymwyn I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Pantymwyn suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

Should you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

I have been recommended by three or four local property agents in Pantymwyn to find a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your services over a competitor’s?

We refuse to give any financial incentive for directing people in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Pantymwyn conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Pantymwyn conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Pantymwyn conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be useful:

If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason? How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?

I own a 1 bedroom flat in Pantymwyn, conveyancing having been completed 8 years ago. 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? Corresponding flats in Pantymwyn with an extended lease are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 2090

With only 65 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £13,300 and £15,400 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is 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. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.

Is planning permission necessary to split a single dwelling into two appartments in Pantymwyn? This has occurred to a house adjacent to my home in Pantymwyn and was ignorant of it happening until the works were done.

Planning Consent yes. Building Regulations yes.