I have just started marketing my garden apartment in Castle Bromwich.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a quarterly service 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 managing agents 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Castle Bromwich. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Castle Bromwich are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Castle Bromwich so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Castle Bromwich conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to advising on 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 to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

I am attracted to a couple of maisonettes in Castle Bromwich which have approximately forty five years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage lenders may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Castle Bromwich with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Castle Bromwich can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
• The majority freeholders or managing agents in Castle Bromwich levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Castle Bromwich.

A minority of Castle Bromwich leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the annual 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 buyers or their lawyers.

If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unsettled. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle 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 buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unresolved.

If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a duplicate share certificate is often a lengthy process and delays many a Castle Bromwich conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £450000 maisonette in Castle Bromwich on Monday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £336 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Castle Bromwich?

Castle Bromwich conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes typically necessitates administration charges raised by freeholders :

• Addressing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Castle Bromwich
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Castle Bromwich leasehold property is £350. For Castle Bromwich 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 the information.

Castle Bromwich Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Please inform me if there are any major works in the planning that will increase the service fees? It would be wise to discover as much as possible about the company managing the block as they can either make living at the property much simpler or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you will be in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to practical issues such as the tidiness of the communal areas. Enquire of other people what they think of their service. On a final note, be sure you know the dates that the maintenance charges are due to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money. Best to be warned if changing the roof or some other major work is due in the near future that will be shared between the tenants and could well dramatically increase the the maintenance fees or require a one time invoice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Castle Bromwich