Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Cross Hands:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Cross Hands, you will need to appoint a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Clydesdale , Birmingham Midshires or NatWest be sure to find a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Common questions relating to Cross Hands leasehold conveyancing

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Cross Hands. Before I get started I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Cross Hands - 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 tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of flats in Cross Hands both have in the region of 50 years unexpired on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Cross Hands is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the premises. The majority of buyers and banks, leases with less than 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 Cross Hands 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 any new 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.

I work for a reputable estate agent office in Cross Hands where we have experienced a few flat sales put at risk due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given conflicting advice from local Cross Hands conveyancing firms. Can you confirm whether the seller of a flat can instigate 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 commence 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 wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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 purchaser.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Cross Hands from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

  • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Cross Hands can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
  • Many landlords or Management Companies in Cross Hands levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Cross Hands.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Cross Hands leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord approving such changes. Where you fail to have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer first.
  • Some Cross Hands leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Organising a new share certificate can be a lengthy formality and delays many a Cross Hands conveyancing deal. Where a duplicate share certificate is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £350000 maisonette in Cross Hands in seven days. The management company has quoted £300 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Cross Hands?

    Cross Hands conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes often requires the buyer’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address these enquiries the majority will be willing to do so. They are at liberty charge a reasonable charge for responding to questions 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 exceeds £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has no option but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to complete the sale of your home.

    I acquired a leasehold flat in Cross Hands, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding flats in Cross Hands with a long lease are worth £200,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2092

    With only 71 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" 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 supply a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Cross Hands