Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Great Barford. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they will have a report out to me within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• How long the lease is You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
• The total extent of the demise. This will be the flat itself but might incorporate a loft or basement if appropriate.
• Defining your legal entitlements in relation to the communal areas in the block.For instance, does the lease grant a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
• Does the lease prevent you from subletting the flat, or working from home
• You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)

I own a leasehold house in Great Barford. Conveyancing and Halifax mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Great Barford who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Great Barford conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I work for a reputable estate agency in Great Barford where we see a few leasehold sales derailed due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given contradictory information from local Great Barford conveyancing firms. Can you clarify whether the seller of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Great Barford conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Great Barford 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 make enquires with two or three firms including non Great Barford conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

• Can they put you in touch with client in Great Barford who can give a testimonial?
• What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £ 125000 maisonette in Great Barford next week. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Great Barford?

Great Barford conveyancing on leasehold apartments more often than not requires the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer these enquiries the majority will be willing to do so. They are entitled levy a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is above £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. In reality you have no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Great Barford, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Great Barford with a long lease are worth £214,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2104

With only 78 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £12,400 and £14,200 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.