I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Biggleswade. Before diving in I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Biggleswade - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

My wife and I may need to sub-let our Biggleswade 1st floor flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a Biggleswade conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Biggleswade conveyancing solicitor is not around you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to obtain consent from your landlord or some other party before subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. The consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I’m about to sell my garden apartment in Biggleswade.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

It best that you pay the invoice as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Biggleswade. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Biggleswade ?

Most houses in Biggleswade are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Biggleswade so you should seriously consider looking for a Biggleswade conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should report to you on the legal implications.

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

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Biggleswade conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Biggleswade conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Biggleswade - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

What is the name of the managing agents? The majority of Biggleswade leasehold properties will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building levied by the management company. Should you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this liability, normally in instalments accross the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay annual, this is usually not a large figure, say around £25-£75 but you need to check it because occasionally it could be prohibitively expensive. What prohibitions are there in the Biggleswade Lease?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Biggleswade