Planning to complete next month on a basement flat in Harrold. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• You should receive a copy of the lease

The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and informed of the importance of the 80 year mark

Does the lease prevent you from subletting the flat, or working from home

You should be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease

Repair and maintenance of the flat

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 contained in your report on your leasehold property in Harrold please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Harrold

I’m about to sell my garden flat in Harrold.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a quarterly service charge invoice – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is 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 managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until 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 today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Harrold. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Harrold ?

Most houses in Harrold are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Harrold so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Harrold conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

We expect to complete the sale of our £175000 flat in Harrold in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £312 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Harrold?

For most leasehold sales in Harrold 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 pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Harrold
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• 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 Harrold leasehold premises is £350. For Harrold 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 answers.

What makes a Harrold lease unmortgageable?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Harrold. All leases are unique and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain provisions are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Halifax, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and Nottingham Building Society all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to pull out.

Harrold Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask before buying

This question is useful as a) areas can result in problems in the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the running of the building you will need to have full disclosure What is the length of the lease? Is anyone aware of any major works on the horizon that will likely increase the service charges?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Harrold