Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Harlow:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Harlow, you will need to appoint a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Halifax, RBS or Bradford & Bingley make sure you choose a lawyer on their approved list. Find a Harlow conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Top Five Questions relating to Harlow leasehold conveyancing

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Harlow. Before diving in I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Harlow - 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.

Looking forward to complete next month on a basement flat in Harlow. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they will have a report out to me next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
  • You must be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • 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.
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Harlow please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Harlow

    • My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Harlow. Conveyancing and Santander mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Harlow who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

    First contact HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Harlow conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

    Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Harlow with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Harlow can be reduced if you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • Many freeholders or Management Companies in Harlow charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Harlow.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Harlow state that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you fail to have the approvals in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer in the first instance.
  • Some Harlow leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this via your lawyers. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is less than 80 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • What are the common deficiencies that you see in leases for Harlow properties?

    Leasehold conveyancing in Harlow is not unique. All leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

    • A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the premises
    • A duty to insure the building
    • A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
    • Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

    You could have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Yorkshire Building Society, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and Britannia all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

    I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Harlow, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Harlow with a long lease are worth £203,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2072

    With 50 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £39,900 and £46,200 plus costs.

    The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Harlow