Me and my partner are buying a 2 bedroom apartment in Pontcanna with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Pontcanna conveyancer, but the lender advise he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel firms or retain our Pontcanna conveyancing practitioner and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This seems very unfair; can we not require that the mortgage company use our Pontcanna property lawyer ?
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. A further alternative is for your Pontcanna conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
I am about to put a bid on a leasehold property in Pontcanna. The selling agents tell me that it is standard for flats in Pontcanna to have less than 75 years remaining. I am obtaining a loan with Chelsea Building Society. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 72 years unexpired.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Chelsea Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 24/9/2026 the requirements read as follows :
Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in Pontcanna. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Pontcanna
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If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared.
I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one near me in Pontcanna I like with open areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Pontcanna suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?
Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Pontcanna. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.
Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Pontcanna - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Pontcanna - A selection of Questions you should ask before buying
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Please note if it is no more than 80 years it will impact the value of the flat. Check with your bank that they are willing to lend given the lease term. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will probably require a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the property for a couple of years in order to be eligible to carry out a lease extension. How long is the Lease? The answer will be helpful as a) areas could cause problems for the building as the common areas may start to deteriorate where services remain unpaid b) if the tenants have an issue with the running of the building you will need to have all the details
What can I do where I am dissatisfied with the lawyer who carried out our conveyancing in Pontcanna?
Occasionally the level of service you receive is not as you expect, and is is a fact of life that occasionally things do go wrong. However there is recourse if you were not happy with your conveyancing in Pontcanna. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a lawyer to their regulator. If you remain unhappy you may consider getting in touch with the Legal Ombudsman.