Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Aston Clinton:

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Questions and Answers: Aston Clinton leasehold conveyancing

There are only 62 years left on my flat in Aston Clinton. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the lessor. For most situations an enquiry agent may be useful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Aston Clinton.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Aston Clinton. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Aston Clinton should include some of the following:

  • Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
  • You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Aston Clinton please enquire of your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Aston Clinton

  • I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Aston Clinton. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

    The majority of houses in Aston Clinton are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Aston Clinton so you should seriously consider looking for a Aston Clinton conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

    I've recently bought a leasehold house in Aston Clinton. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

    Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

    If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

    Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Aston Clinton from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Aston Clinton can be avoided where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers conveyancers.
    • The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Aston Clinton charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Aston Clinton.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Aston Clinton leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. If you dont have the paperwork to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer in the first instance.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a replacement share certificate is often a lengthy formality and delays many a Aston Clinton conveyancing deal. If a duplicate share certificate is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check via your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 75 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

  • I invested in buying a studio flat in Aston Clinton, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2000. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Aston Clinton with a long lease are worth £229,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2078

    With only 54 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £31,400 and £36,200 plus legals.

    The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

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    Lease Extensions in Aston Clinton