Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Godmanchester

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Godmanchester leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Godmanchester. Before diving in I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Godmanchester - 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.

My partner and I may need to sub-let our Godmanchester ground floor flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Godmanchester conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A lease governs the relationship between the freeholder and you the flat owner; in particular, it will say if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. Most leases in Godmanchester do not prevent an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the property. Instead, there is usually a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a copy of the tenancy agreement.

I am hoping to complete next month on a garden flat in Godmanchester. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • Defining your rights in respect of the communal areas in the building.For example, does the lease grant a right of way over a path or hallways?
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • 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
  • What you can do if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Godmanchester please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Godmanchester

    • What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Godmanchester conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Godmanchester conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you speak with several firms including non Godmanchester conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

    • If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • What are the costs for lease extension conveyancing?

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Godmanchester from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Godmanchester can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Godmanchester leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such changes. Where you fail to have the consents to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer in the first instance.
  • If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride 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 prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Organising a duplicate share certificate can be a time consuming formality and slows down many a Godmanchester conveyancing transaction. If a duplicate share certificate is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 75 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • Godmanchester Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

      This information is important as a) areas can cause problems in the building as the common areas may start to deteriorate where maintenance are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the managing agents you will wish to have all the details How much is the ground rent and service charge? It is important to be aware if changing the roof or some other major work is due in the foreseeable future to be shared by the tenants and could well materially increase the the service costs or require a one time payment.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Godmanchester