I am considering refinancing my house in Swansea City, does my lawyer have to be on the Clydesdale Solicitor panel?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, but Clydesdale would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same conveyancing matter.

My wife and I buying a detached bungalow in Swansea City. The intention is to carry out a loft conversion at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve checks to ascertain if these works are allowed?

Your solicitor will check the registered title as conveyancing in Swansea City can sometimes identify restrictions in the title documents which prevent categories of works or need the consent of a 3rd party. Certain works require local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.

We are getting the release of further monies on our mortgage from Nationwide as we wish to conduct alterations to our house in Swansea City. Are we obliged to appoint a local Swansea City solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

Nationwide do not ordinarily appoint firms on their conveyancing panel to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nationwide panel.

Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Leeds Building Society. Swansea City conveyancing solicitors are selected. How long does it take for Leeds Building Society to forward the offer to the property lawyer?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Leeds Building Society completed the valuation? Have you informed Leeds Building Society as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.

I got the keys to my flat on 11 May and the transaction details are still not registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Swansea City expressed confidence that it should be recorded inside ten days. Are transfers in Swansea City particularly slow to register?

As far as conveyancing in Swansea City registration is no quicker or slower than the rest of England and Wales. Rather than based on location, timescales can vary depending on the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry must send notices to any other parties. Currently approximately 80% of submission are fully addressed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be extensive delays. Historically registration takes place after the new owner is living at the premises so an expedited registration is not always primary concern yet where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers could contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £305k and found one close by in Swansea City I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Swansea City suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Swansea City what are the most common lease defects?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Swansea City. All leases are drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain sections are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the building Insurance obligations

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. HSBC Bank, Virgin Money, and Barclays Direct all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to pull out.

Swansea City Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before buying

What is the length of the lease? Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that will add a premium to the maintenance costs? What is the yearly service fee and ground rent?