Our solicitor has identified a defect with the lease for the property we are purchasing in Flintshire. The other side have offered defective title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will pay for it. Our solicitor has advised that he must ensure that the lender is willing to move forward with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the bank?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the risk of a conflict of interest, you and the bank are the client. Your property lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the mortgage company can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your conveyancing practitioner will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Flintshire. My lender is Bank of Ireland

Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 26/1/2026, the requirements read as follows :

We are selling our house in Flintshire and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. Any local conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers instructed a web based conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Flintshire. Having lived in Flintshire for 4 years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to seek clarification that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You must check with 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 life insurance to cover that same sickness)

I am purchasing my first flat in Flintshire with the aid of help to buy. The developers would not budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent advised me not reveal to my conveyancer about the extras as it would impact my loan with Bank of Ireland. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one near me in Flintshire I like with open areas and transport links nearby, however it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Flintshire suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.