I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Camborne. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Camborne - 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.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Camborne. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Camborne are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Camborne so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Camborne conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Camborne both have in the region of forty five years unexpired on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

A lease is a right to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is generally wise to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

I am employed by a reputable estate agent office in Camborne where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales put at risk due to short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Camborne conveyancing solicitors. Please can you confirm whether the seller of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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 buyer.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £ 425000 garden flat in Camborne next week. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Camborne?

Camborne conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates the buyer’s solicitor submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be content to assist. They may charge a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, without which the charge is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to sell the property.

I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Camborne, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Camborne with a long lease are worth £263,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2079

With 53 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £30,400 and £35,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.