I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Bedminster. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Bedminster are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Bedminster in which case you should be shopping around for a Bedminster conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

I own a leasehold house in Bedminster. Conveyancing and Virgin Money mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing solicitor in Bedminster who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Bedminster conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Bedminster conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Bedminster conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Bedminster conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Bedminster in the last 12 months?

What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

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

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Bedminster can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ lawyers.
• The majority freeholders or managing agents in Bedminster levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Bedminster.

If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Bedminster leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Where you dont have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand.

A minority of Bedminster leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any 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 purchasers or their lawyers.

If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming process and delays many a Bedminster home move. Where a new share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.

Completion in due on our sale of a £225000 maisonette in Bedminster next week. The freeholder has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Bedminster?

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

• Completing pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Bedminster
• 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 conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Bedminster leasehold premises is £350. For Bedminster 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 obliged to supply answers.

Bedminster Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

You should want to find out as much as possible concerning the managing agents as they can either make life much simpler or problematic. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day matters such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask other people what they think of them. Finally, be sure you understand the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and precisely what it includes. Be sure to investigate if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. For example plenty of leases prohibit pets being allowed in certain buildings in Bedminster. If you like the flatin Bedminster yet your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be faced hard choice. How long is the Lease?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Bedminster