Due to complete next month on a studio apartment in Ferndown. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The total extent of the premises. This will be the property itself but may incorporate a roof space or basement if applicable.

You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions

Repair and maintenance of the flat

Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)

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.

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 the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Ferndown please ask your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Ferndown

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just found out 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 Ferndown. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Ferndown are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Ferndown in which case you should be shopping around for a Ferndown conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder 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’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should advise you fully on all the issues.

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Ferndown conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Ferndown 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 Ferndown conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be helpful:

• How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?

What volume of lease extensions has the firm completed in Ferndown in the last 12 months?

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Ferndown with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Ferndown can be avoided where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers representatives.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Ferndown state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you dont have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer in advance.

A minority of Ferndown leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying 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 purchasers 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 reluctant to purchase a property where a dispute is ongoing. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. 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 reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.

If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a replacement share certificate is often a time consuming formality and delays many a Ferndown conveyancing transaction. If a new share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £175000 garden flat in Ferndown next week. The freeholder has quoted £396 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Ferndown?

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

• Addressing conveyancing due diligence questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Ferndown
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Ferndown leasehold premises is £350. For Ferndown 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 supply the information.

Ferndown Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

The prefered form of lease structure is where the freehold reversion is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this scenario the leaseholders benefit from control and even though a managing agent is often retained where the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. On the whole the outlay for major works are not incorporated into the maintenance charges, although some managing agents in Ferndown require tenants to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against major works. This information is helpful as a) areas may cause problems for the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if services remain unpaid b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the running of the building you will want to have full disclosure

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Ferndown