Planning to complete next month on a garden flat in Kingsdown. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they will have a report out to me on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and informed of the importance of the 80 year mark

The total extent of the demise. This will be the apartment itself but might include a loft or cellar if applicable.

Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?

An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has

Repair and maintenance of the flat

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 For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Kingsdown please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Kingsdown

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Kingsdown conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Kingsdown conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with two or three firms including non Kingsdown conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How many lease extensions have they completed in Kingsdown in the last twenty four months?

What are the charges for lease extension work?

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Kingsdown with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Kingsdown can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
• Many landlords or Management Companies in Kingsdown levy fees for supplying 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 frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Kingsdown.

If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Kingsdown leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. Where you dont have the paperwork in place you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor first.

If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate is often a time consuming process and slows down many a Kingsdown conveyancing deal. If a new share is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.

You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check via your solicitors. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £250000 garden flat in Kingsdown next Monday . The landlords agents has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Kingsdown?

Kingsdown conveyancing on leasehold flats usually involves administration charges levied by landlords agents :

• Answering pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Kingsdown
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• 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 Kingsdown leasehold property is £350. For Kingsdown 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 answers.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Kingsdown what are the most frequent lease defects?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Kingsdown. Most leases are unique and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the property
• A duty to insure the building
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You may have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Nationwide Building Society, Leeds Building Society, and Bank of Ireland all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

Kingsdown Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

It would be prudent to investigate if the the lease contains any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. For example plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Kingsdown. If you like the apartmentin Kingsdown however your cat is not allowed to move with you then you will be faced hard compromise. Can you tell me if there are any major works in the planning that could add a premium to the maintenance charges? Please note that where the lease has fewer than 80 years it will impact the salability of the flat. Check with your lender that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out what this will be. For most Kingsdownlease extensions you will need to own the residence for 24 months in order to be entitled to extend the lease.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Kingsdown