Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Barlaston and Tittensor:

Get a Quote

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Barlaston and Tittensor, you will need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Clydesdale , Birmingham Midshires or NatWest be sure to choose a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Recently asked questions relating to Barlaston and Tittensor leasehold conveyancing

I want to sublet my leasehold flat in Barlaston and Tittensor. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Notwithstanding that your previous Barlaston and Tittensor conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can review your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to obtain permission from your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. The consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Barlaston and Tittensor. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Barlaston and Tittensor are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Barlaston and Tittensor so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Barlaston and Tittensor conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in dealing with 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 will likely included provisions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor will advise you fully on all the issues.

I am employed by a long established estate agency in Barlaston and Tittensor where we see a number of flat sales jeopardised as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Barlaston and Tittensor conveyancing firms. Please can you clarify whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Barlaston and Tittensor with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

  • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Barlaston and Tittensor 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 purchasers’ lawyers.
  • Many freeholders or Management Companies in Barlaston and Tittensor charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Barlaston and Tittensor.
  • Some Barlaston and Tittensor 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 will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.
  • If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate can be a time consuming formality and slows down many a Barlaston and Tittensor conveyancing deal. If a reissued share certificate is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check via your solicitors. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the remaining number of years is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

    • In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Barlaston and Tittensor what are the most common lease problems?

    Leasehold conveyancing in Barlaston and Tittensor is not unique. All leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain clauses are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
    • A duty to insure the building
    • A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
    • Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

    You could encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Yorkshire Building Society, Virgin Money, and Aldermore all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

    I own a split level flat in Barlaston and Tittensor, conveyancing formalities finalised 2002. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Barlaston and Tittensor with a long lease are worth £264,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2087

    With 62 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £23,800 and £27,400 as well as professional fees.

    The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Barlaston and Tittensor