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

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Helsby, you will need to chose a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Lloyds, Birmingham Midshires or Nationwide be sure to find a lawyer on their approved list. Find a Helsby conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Top Five Questions relating to Helsby leasehold conveyancing

Planning to complete next month on a garden flat in Helsby. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they are sending me a report tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • How long the lease is You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
  • The total extent of the property. This will be the flat itself but may include a roof space or basement if appropriate.
  • Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
  • You should be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Helsby please enquire of your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Helsby

  • I am attracted to a two flats in Helsby which have approximately fifty years remaining on the leases. Will this present a problem?

    There are plenty of short leases in Helsby. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As a lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease reduces and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area

    What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Helsby conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Helsby conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non Helsby conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

    • How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

  • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Helsby with the intention of expediting the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Helsby can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers representatives.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in Helsby charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Helsby.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Helsby state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Where you dont have the paperwork in place do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in the first instance.
  • Some Helsby leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the annual 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 buyers or their solicitors.
  • If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay 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.

  • Are there common problems that you see in leases for Helsby properties?

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

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
    • A duty to insure the building
    • A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
    • Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

    You could have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Birmingham Midshires, Bank of Scotland, and Alliance & Leicester all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to pull out.

    I own a garden flat in Helsby, conveyancing formalities finalised 7 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Helsby with over 90 years remaining are worth £240,000. The ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2082

    You have 58 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £23,800 and £27,400 plus costs.

    The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Helsby