I am need of leasehold conveyancing for an apartment in a fairly new development (6 years old) in Tongwynlais. The vast majority the flats have already been occupied. Is it really necessary to order conveyancing searches as part of conveyancing in Tongwynlais?

If you are buying a property with the assistance of a loan, your lender will need some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Tongwynlais conveyancing searches are optional. Your solicitor, will 'advise', perhaps in the strongest possible terms, that you should have the searches done, but he or she has a professional duty to do this. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you insist that your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or you will need to switch to an alternative solicitor for your conveyancing in Tongwynlais.

We are purchasing a detached bungalow in Tongwynlais. We would like to carry out an extension to the side at the house.Will legal due diligence on the property include enquiries to determine if these works are prohibited?

Your conveyancer will check the registered title as conveyancing in Tongwynlais can on occasion identify restrictions in the title documents which restrict categories of alterations or need the permission of another owner. Certain works require local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. It would be prudent to check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

I'm the single beneficiary of my late mum's will with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Tongwynlais. The Tongwynlais property was put into my name in January. I now wish to sell up. I understand that there is a CML six month 'rule', which means that my property ownership could be considered the same way as if I'd bought the property in January. Is the property unsalable for six months?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you could be impacted by that. Most banks would take a sensible view as this requirement principally exists to pick up on subsales or the quick reselling of properties.

My wife and I are in the throws of viewing flats in Tongwynlais and I am about to put in an offer. Is it best to have my conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a mortgage with Clydesdale.

You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with Clydesdale, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

Will my conveyancer be asking questions regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Tongwynlais.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers dealing with homes in Tongwynlais. There are those who purchase a property in Tongwynlais, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that may be undertaken by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can figure out the risks in Tongwynlais. The standard completed inquiry forms sent to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard inquiry of the seller to discover if the property has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the owner, then a purchaser could commence a compensation claim resulting from an misleading answer. The buyer’s lawyers may also conduct an enviro report. This should reveal if there is any known flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be carried out.

I have recentlybecome aware that Arc property Solicitors have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Tongwynlais for a purchase of a freehold house 10 months ago. How can I check that the property is in my name in the name of the previous owner?

The quickest method to see if the property is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Tongwynlais conveyancing specialists.

I have been pointed in your direction by a couple of local property agents in Tongwynlais to locate a solicitor using your seach tool. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to recommend your services over another?

We don’t give any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.