Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Henlow:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Henlow, you will need to appoint a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Halifax, Birmingham Midshires or NatWest make sure you find a lawyer on their panel. Find a Henlow conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Henlow

I wish to let out my leasehold apartment in Henlow. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Some leases for properties in Henlow do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

There are only 72 years unexpired on my flat in Henlow. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

If you qualify, 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 granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the lessor. In some cases a specialist may be helpful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Henlow.

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Henlow.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is clear the service charge 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 management companies 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 am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two maisonettes in Henlow both have approximately fifty years left on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Henlow. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Henlow from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

  • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Henlow can be avoided where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers representatives.
  • The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Henlow levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Henlow.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Henlow state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such changes. Where you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor in the first instance.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge 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 ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over as opposed to unresolved.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a new share certificate is often a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Henlow conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • I invested in buying a 1st floor flat in Henlow, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Henlow with a long lease are worth £210,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 2099

    You have 78 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £7,600 and £8,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

    The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Henlow