I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Denton. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Denton ?

Most houses in Denton 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. We note that you are purchasing in Denton so you should seriously consider looking for a Denton conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I own a leasehold flat in Denton. Conveyancing and Halifax mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Denton who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Denton conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Denton conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Denton conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you talk with two or three firms including non Denton conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

Can they put you in touch with client in Denton who can give a testimonial?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Denton from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Denton can be avoided if you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
• The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Denton levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Denton.

If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Denton leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord approving such works. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer first.

If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a duplicate share certificate is often a time consuming process and slows down many a Denton conveyancing deal. If a new share certificate is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but you should verify this by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

Completion in due on our sale of a £425000 flat in Denton in seven days. The management company has quoted £336 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Denton?

Denton conveyancing on leasehold flats typically necessitates fees being invoiced by freeholders :

• Addressing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Denton
• 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 solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Denton leasehold premises is £350. For Denton 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 answers.

I own a 1st floor flat in Denton, conveyancing having been completed 4 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Denton with over 90 years remaining are worth £237,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2099

With only 73 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.

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Lease Extensions in Denton