Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Higham Ferrers

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Higham Ferrers, you will need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Halifax, Yorkshire Building Society or Nationwide be sure to choose a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Questions and Answers: Higham Ferrers leasehold conveyancing

I would like to sublet my leasehold flat in Higham Ferrers. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

Your lease governs the relationship between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will say if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Higham Ferrers do not contain an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Higham Ferrers. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • Setting out your rights in relation to common areas in the building.E.G., does the lease grant a right of way over a path or hallways?
  • Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
  • 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
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Higham Ferrers please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Higham Ferrers

    • I have just appointed agents to market my garden flat in Higham Ferrers.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

    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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

    I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Higham Ferrers. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Higham Ferrers ?

    Most houses in Higham Ferrers are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Higham Ferrers so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Higham Ferrers conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

    Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Higham Ferrers with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Higham Ferrers can be avoided where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Higham Ferrers 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 pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Higham Ferrers.
  • If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than ongoing.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Arranging a replacement share certificate is often a lengthy process and slows down many a Higham Ferrers conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share certificate is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to verify this by asking your lawyers. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is less than 75 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you identify whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

    • I purchased a 1st floor flat in Higham Ferrers, conveyancing was carried out 2007. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar properties in Higham Ferrers with a long lease are worth £270,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2081

    You have 56 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as legals.

    The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Higham Ferrers