Me and my partner are hoping to purchase a 1 bedroom flat in Barry with a mortgage. We like our Barry solicitor, but the mortgage company advise she’s not on their "panel". It appears that we have no option but to select one of the bank panel solicitors or retain our Barry conveyancing practitioner as well as pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’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 Barry conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

I am buying a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Barry who is on the Barclays Direct solicitor. Can you recommend a local firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Barclays Direct in certain locations such as Barry. We dont recommend any particular firm.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the house moving as a first time purchaser of a two bedroom flat in Barry. Do I collect the keys to the property on the completion date from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will use a local conveyancing solicitor in Barry?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will transfer the completion advance to the seller's conveyancers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be able to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen early afternoon.

I have been advised by my solicitor that lack of planning permission insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Barry?

The right level of lack of planning permission indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Barclays and The Royal Bank of Scotland. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to borrowers take out such policies.

My wife and I have arranged the release of further funds on our home loan from Skipton as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our house in Barry. Do we need to appoint a bricks and mortar Barry solicitor on the Skipton conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?

Skipton do not ordinarily require firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Skipton panel.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Barry from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Barry can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers’ representatives.
If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Obtaining a new share certificate is often a lengthy formality and slows down many a Barry conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share certificate is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible. If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to unsettled. The majority of landlords or Management Companies in Barry charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Barry.

I invested in buying a 1st floor flat in Barry, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen 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? Equivalent flats in Barry with an extended lease are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2096

With 70 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information 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 placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

I am just shy of a 10% deposit on my house purchase in Barry , but I still want to proceed. What can I do?

You can agree a lesser deposit. Most vendors will agree to a lower deposit or even no deposit for a first time buyer or 100% mortgage. Be aware though that if you fail to complete you will still need to hand over a minimum of 10% of the purchase price regardless of how much deposit was agreed.

You can also agree a simultaneous exchange and completion as no deposit is required for this however neither party will be tied in until completion actually takes place and it can be risky if sellers change their mind at the last moment