I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Chelmsford. Before diving in I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Chelmsford - 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 today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Chelmsford. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Chelmsford ?

Most houses in Chelmsford are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Chelmsford in which case you should be shopping around for a Chelmsford conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority 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’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

I am looking at a two maisonettes in Chelmsford both have approximately forty five years left on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Chelmsford is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the salability of the property. For most purchasers and lenders, leases with under 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Chelmsford conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

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

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Chelmsford can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers representatives.
• Some Chelmsford leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the yearly 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Chelmsford what are the most frequent lease problems?

Leasehold conveyancing in Chelmsford is not unique. Most leases are unique and drafting errors can result in certain sections are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You will encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. National Westminster Bank, The Mortgage Works, and Bank of Ireland all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Chelmsford - A selection of Queries before buying

For most Chelmsford leaseholds the outlay for major works are not incorporated into the maintenance charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Chelmsford ask leaseholders to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major works. Plenty Chelmsford leasehold properties will have a service bill for the upkeep of the block set by the management company. If you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, usually quarterly throughout the year. This can be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, ordinarily this is not a exorbitant figure, say approximately £25-£75 but you should to enquire it because sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. How much is the yearly service fee and ground rent?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Chelmsford