We are acquiring our first property. Our solicitor has texted usto ask if we wish to purchase extra conveyancing searches. As novices we in the dark as to what's relevant for conveyancing in St Davids

The scope of St Davids conveyancing searches should be dictated entirely on the property, the location, the likelihood of any of these risks, your knowledge of the region and risks, your general attitude to risk. What matters is that you properly understand what information each search could give you. You may then make a decision if you consider that you need that information. If unclear, ask the solicitor to recommend.

A friend recommended that if I am purchasing in St Davids I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

A search of this type is occasionally included in the estimate for your St Davids conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about St Davids around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, St Davids Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning St Davids.

My wife and I have a semi-detached Georgian house in St Davids. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and TSB. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for 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 St Davids and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who carried out the work.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. St Davids is where the house is located. Is there any guidance you can give?

Flying freeholds in St Davids are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside St Davids you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in St Davids may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

My father-in-law has suggested that I use his conveyancers in St Davids. Should I find my own conveyancer?

There are no two ways about it it’s preferable to select a conveyancing practitioner is to get recommendations from friends or relatives who have used the solicitor you're are thinking of instructing.