I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Ince in Makerfield. Before I get started I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Ince in Makerfield - 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.

There are only 68 years left on my lease in Ince in Makerfield. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you have done all that could be expected to locate the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent would be helpful to try and locate and prepare a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Ince in Makerfield.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Ince in Makerfield. Conveyancing lawyers 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 Ince in Makerfield should include some of the following:

• Are pets allowed in the flat?
• Does the lease prevent you from letting out the flat, or working from home
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames
• What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease?

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Ince in Makerfield. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Ince in Makerfield with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Ince in Makerfield can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
• Many freeholders or managing agents in Ince in Makerfield charge for providing 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 accelerating the process. 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 Ince in Makerfield.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Ince in Makerfield state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Should you dont have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer in the first instance.
• Some Ince in Makerfield 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 bank and professional references. The 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 are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a new share certificate is often a lengthy process and slows down many a Ince in Makerfield conveyancing transaction. Where a new share certificate is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.

I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Ince in Makerfield, conveyancing formalities finalised 7 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Ince in Makerfield with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2081

With just 55 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £25,700 and £29,600 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do 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 want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.