My flat in Roath is up for sale and I have a buyer. Will my property lawyer have to be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently currently.

How can we tell if a Roath conveyancing solicitor on the Co-operative panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Roath obtaining recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advise that you speak with the solicitor handling your transaction.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Roath. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender RBS be concerned?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with RBS your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements outlined in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for RBS. The CML Handbook includes minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to RBS where a lease does not meet these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Roath.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Roath. I have a mortgage agreed with Santander. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Santander, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel.

We are planning on selling our house in Roath and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers used an internet conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Roath. We have lived in Roath for three years we know of no issue. Do we contact our local Authority to obtain clarification that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You need to enquire of 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 health insurance to cover that same ailment)

I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Roath I like with open areas and railway links nearby, however it's only got 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Roath for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?

If you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be problematic. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Roath. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Roath ?

Most houses in Roath are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Roath in which case you should be looking for a Roath conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Roath, conveyancing was carried out July 1999. 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 Roath with a long lease are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2090

You have 65 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £13,300 and £15,400 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other 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 placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.