I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Hungerford. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Hungerford - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Hungerford. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Hungerford are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Hungerford in which case you should be shopping around for a Hungerford conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should advise you fully on all the issues.

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Hungerford conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Hungerford conveyancing practice) 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 make enquires with several firms including non Hungerford conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be helpful:

• How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?

What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Hungerford from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Hungerford can be reduced if 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 representatives.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Hungerford state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such alterations. If you dont have the paperwork in place do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer in the first instance.

Some Hungerford leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (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 buyers or their solicitors.

If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of 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 better to reveal the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.

You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is under 75 years. It is therefore 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 home on the market for sale.

Completion in due on the sale of our £450000 maisonette in Hungerford on Thursday in a week. The freeholder has quoted £324 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Hungerford?

For most leasehold sales in Hungerford conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Answering pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Hungerford
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Hungerford leasehold premises is £350. For Hungerford 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 obliged to provide the information.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Hungerford - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

Be sure to discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example some leases prohibit pets being permitted in certain buildings in Hungerford. If you like the flatin Hungerford but your dog can’t make the move with you then you will be faced hard compromise. Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders? On the whole the outlay for major works tend not to be included within maintenance charges, although a few managing agents in Hungerford require leaseholders to pay into a sinking fund created for the specific intention of building a fund for larger works.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Hungerford