Leasehold Conveyancing in Haslemere - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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Any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically handle your leasehold conveyancing in Haslemere, your mortgage provider may unwilling to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Top Five Questions relating to Haslemere leasehold conveyancing

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 72 years left on my lease in Haslemere. I need to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to locate the lessor. For most situations an enquiry agent would be helpful to try and locate and to produce a report to be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Haslemere.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a leasehold property in Haslemere. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • How long the lease is You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and informed of the importance of the 80 year mark
  • Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?
  • Does the lease prevent you from letting out the flat, or having a home office for business
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Haslemere please enquire of your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in Haslemere

    • I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Haslemere. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?

    The majority of houses in Haslemere are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Haslemere so you should seriously consider looking for a Haslemere conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.

    I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of apartments in Haslemere which have approximately 50 years remaining on the lease term. should I be concerned?

    There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Haslemere is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the salability of the property. The majority of buyers and lenders, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Haslemere conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

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

    • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Haslemere can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers solicitors.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Haslemere levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Haslemere.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Haslemere state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Where you fail to have the consents to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor before hand.
  • A minority of Haslemere 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 bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 solicitors.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but you should double-check by asking your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • Haslemere Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

      How much is the yearly service fee and ground rent? Is the freehold reversion owned collectively by the tenants? Best to be warned if fixing the lift or some other major work is pending to be shared between the leasehold owners and may well materially increase the the maintenance costs or require a specific payment.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Haslemere