Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Cross Keys:

Any conveyancing practice can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Cross Keys, your mortgage provider may unwilling to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Questions and Answers: Cross Keys leasehold conveyancing

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 72 years unexpired on my lease in Cross Keys. I am keen to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the lessor. On the whole a specialist may be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report to be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Cross Keys.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Cross Keys. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Cross Keys should include some of the following:

  • Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
  • You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?
  • What you can do if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease? For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Cross Keys please ask your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Cross Keys

  • I am attracted to a couple of maisonettes in Cross Keys which have approximately 50 years unexpired on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

    A lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the saleability of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you get professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field

    Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Cross Keys conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

    When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Cross Keys conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you speak with two or three firms including non Cross Keys conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

    • How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in Cross Keys in the last twenty four months?
  • What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?

  • Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Cross Keys with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Cross Keys can be avoided if you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
    • Many landlords or managing agents in Cross Keys charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Cross Keys.
  • If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned 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 resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. 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 purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a replacement share certificate is often a time consuming formality and delays many a Cross Keys conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share certificate is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is less than 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

  • I own a studio flat in Cross Keys, conveyancing formalities finalised 1995. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Cross Keys with a long lease are worth £169,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2085

    You have 60 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £22,800 and £26,400 plus professional fees.

    The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Cross Keys