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

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Durham - 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.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my basement apartment in Durham.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the invoice 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of maisonettes in Durham which have about 50 years left on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Durham. The lease is a right to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. It is often difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Durham conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Durham conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Durham conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How many lease extensions have they completed in Durham in the last twenty four months?
• What are the costs for lease extension work?

Are there frequently found problems that you witness in leases for Durham properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Durham is not unique. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You could have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Birmingham Midshires, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and Nottingham Building Society all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, obliging the buyer to withdraw.

Durham Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

What restrictions exist in the Durham Lease? The prefered form of lease arrangement is where the freehold interest is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this arrangement the tenants have being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is usually retained if it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. It would be wise to enquire if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For example it is fairly common in Durham leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Durham. If you love the propertyin Durham yet your cat can’t move with you then you will be faced difficult determination.