Expecting to complete next month on a studio apartment in Badminton. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Badminton should include some of the following:

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark

Defining your legal entitlements in relation to common areas in the block.For example, does the lease grant a right of way over a path or hallways?

Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?

Whether the lease restricts you from subletting the property, or having a home office for business

You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions

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

What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Badminton please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Badminton

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Badminton. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Badminton ?

The majority of houses in Badminton are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Badminton in which case you should be shopping around for a Badminton conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder 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 alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Badminton. Conveyancing and Bank of Ireland mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing practitioner in Badminton who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Badminton conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Badminton with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Badminton can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
• The majority landlords or managing agents in Badminton levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Badminton.

In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Badminton leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord consenting to such changes. Where you fail to have the consents in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer first.

A minority of Badminton leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their solicitors.

If you have had 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 concerned about purchasing a property where a dispute is unsettled. You will have to accept that you will have to pay 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 are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £350000 apartment in Badminton in seven days. The freeholder has quoted £408 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Badminton?

For most leasehold sales in Badminton conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Completing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Badminton
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Badminton leasehold property is £350. For Badminton conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide answers.

I invested in buying a 1 bedroom flat in Badminton, conveyancing formalities finalised 2001. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Badminton with an extended lease are worth £262,000. The ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2096

With just 75 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £11,400 and £13,200 plus professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Badminton