My partner and I are buying our first property. The conveyancing practitioner has e-mailedto check if we wish to order extra conveyancing searches. As novices we in the dark as to what's relevant for conveyancing in Newbridge

The type of Newbridge conveyancing searches depends entirely on the property, the location, the possibility of any of these risks, your familiarity of the region and risks, your general approach to risk. What matters is that you adequately appreciate what information the searches could give you. Then you can make a decision if you consider that you need that information. Where you are unsure, ask the lawyer to guide you.

Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to attend the offices of the solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Newbridge so that I can pop in to their offices if necessary.

As opposed to twenty years ago, the vast majority lenders no longer need their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the mortgagors signature. It will still be necessary for you to provide identification documents and there are still distinct benefits to choosing a locally based solicitor, in your situation a conveyancing solicitor in Newbridge.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Newbridge?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Newbridge. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Newbridge is the location of the property. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Newbridge are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Newbridge you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Newbridge may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

I was advised by numerous estate agents in Newbridge to get a quote from a conveyancer using your seach tool. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over a competitor’s?

We don’t make any referral fee for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.