Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Bournemouth:

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Any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically handle your leasehold conveyancing in Bournemouth, your mortgage provider may unwilling to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Sample questions relating to Bournemouth leasehold conveyancing

I am intending to rent out my leasehold apartment in Bournemouth. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

A lease dictates the relationship between the freeholder and you the flat owner; in particular, it will set out if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Bournemouth do not contain strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the flat. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a copy of the sublease.

I only have Fifty years left on my flat in Bournemouth. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to 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 landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent may be helpful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Bournemouth.

Planning to exchange soon on a basement flat in Bournemouth. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • The total extent of the demise. This will be the property itself but could also include a loft or basement if appropriate.
  • Setting out your rights in respect of common areas in the building.For example, does the lease include a right of way over a path or staircase?
  • 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
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
  • 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 For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Bournemouth please ask your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in Bournemouth

    • I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Bournemouth.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just received a half-yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

    Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the service charge 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.

    Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Bournemouth with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Bournemouth can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
    • Many freeholders or managing agents in Bournemouth charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack 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 usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Bournemouth.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Bournemouth state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such alterations. Should you dont have the approvals to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in the first instance.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of 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 clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a new share certificate is often a time consuming process and slows down many a Bournemouth conveyancing deal. If a new share is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this as soon as possible.

    • I bought a leasehold flat in Bournemouth, conveyancing having been completed 7 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding properties in Bournemouth with over 90 years remaining are worth £263,000. The ground rent is £60 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2098

    You have 75 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as professional fees.

    The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information 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. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Bournemouth