Quality lawyers for Leasehold Conveyancing in Dorchester

Any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Dorchester, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Sample questions relating to Dorchester leasehold conveyancing

Looking forward to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Dorchester. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Dorchester should include some of the following:

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark
  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
  • Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
  • 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 Dorchester please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Dorchester

  • I have just appointed agents to market my basement flat in Dorchester.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a half-yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

    The sensible thing to do is discharge the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

    I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Dorchester. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Dorchester ?

    Most houses in Dorchester are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Dorchester in which case you should be shopping around for a Dorchester conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

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

    If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Dorchester conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non Dorchester conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

    • How many lease extensions have they conducted in Dorchester in the last twenty four months?
  • What are the costs for lease extension conveyancing?

  • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Dorchester with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dorchester can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
    • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Dorchester state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. If you fail to have the consents in place do not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer in advance.
  • Some Dorchester leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the annual 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 purchasers or their lawyers.
  • If you have had any disputes with your freeholder 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 ongoing. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to verify this via your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is less than 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

  • Dorchester Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

      What restrictions exist in the Dorchester Lease? You should be aware if it is fewer than eighty years it will affect the value of the flat. It is worth checking with your bank that they are content with the length of the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this would cost. For most Dorchesterlease extensions you would need to own the property for two years before you are eligible to extend the lease. How much is the service charge and ground rent on the property?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Dorchester