Planning to sign contracts shortly on a leasehold property in Leighton Buzzard. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Setting out your rights in relation to the communal areas in the block.By way of example, does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or staircase?

Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?

You must be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease

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

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 contained in your report on your leasehold property in Leighton Buzzard please enquire of your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Leighton Buzzard

I have just appointed agents to market my garden flat in Leighton Buzzard.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you discharge 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Leighton Buzzard. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Leighton Buzzard are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Leighton Buzzard so you should seriously consider looking for a Leighton Buzzard conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house 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 Leighton Buzzard with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Leighton Buzzard can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Leighton Buzzard leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in advance.

A minority of Leighton Buzzard leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet 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 purchasers or their solicitors.

If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is ongoing. 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 buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.

If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Organising a duplicate share certificate can be a lengthy formality and slows down many a Leighton Buzzard conveyancing transaction. Where a duplicate share certificate is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £500000 garden flat in Leighton Buzzard next Monday . The management company has quoted £336 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Leighton Buzzard?

Leighton Buzzard conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally necessitates fees being levied by managing agents :

• Completing pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Leighton Buzzard
• 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 lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Leighton Buzzard leasehold premises is £350. For Leighton Buzzard 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 required to supply answers.

I inherited a ground floor flat in Leighton Buzzard, conveyancing was carried out 2010. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent properties in Leighton Buzzard with an extended lease are worth £235,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 2074

With 51 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £33,300 and £38,400 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

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Lease Extensions in Leighton Buzzard