Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Dawlish - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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 seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Dawlish. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Dawlish are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Dawlish so you should seriously consider looking for a Dawlish conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will advise you fully on all the issues.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two maisonettes in Dawlish which have approximately forty five years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in Dawlish. The lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease reduces and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. It is often 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 protracted process. We advise that you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish can be reduced if you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Dawlish state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such works. Should you fail to have the approvals to hand do not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor in the first instance.

Some Dawlish 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 obtain 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 buyers or their lawyers.

If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unresolved. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than ongoing.

If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Dawlish home move. Where a reissued share certificate is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

We expect to complete the sale of our £500000 flat in Dawlish next week. The freeholder has quoted £420 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Dawlish?

For most leasehold sales in Dawlish conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Completing pre-contract questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Dawlish
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• 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 Dawlish leasehold property is £350. For Dawlish 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 required to provide the information.

I acquired a basement flat in Dawlish, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2008. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Dawlish with an extended lease are worth £242,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2094

With only 71 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £10,500 and £12,000 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Dawlish