I today plan to offer on a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Braintree. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Braintree are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Braintree so you should seriously consider looking for a Braintree conveyancing solicitor 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 entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor will advise you fully on all the issues.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Braintree which have about 50 years left on the lease term. should I be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Braintree. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease reduces and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is advisable to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Braintree conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Braintree conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non Braintree conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be helpful:

• Can they put you in touch with client in Braintree who can give a testimonial?
• What are the costs for lease extension work?

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Braintree from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Braintree can be reduced if you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
• The majority landlords or managing agents in Braintree levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Braintree.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Braintree state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Should you dont have the consents in place you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer before hand.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and delays many a Braintree conveyancing transaction. If a duplicate share is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is under 75 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £ 475000 apartment in Braintree in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Braintree?

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

• Answering conveyancing due diligence questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Braintree
• Supplying insurance information
• 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 Braintree leasehold premises is £350. For Braintree 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 supply answers.

I bought a split level flat in Braintree, conveyancing was carried out in 1995. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Braintree with an extended lease are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2083

You have 57 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £23,800 and £27,400 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.