Due to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Lewes. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they report fully within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
• 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
• 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?
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
• What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Lewes. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Lewes ?

The majority of houses in Lewes are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Lewes in which case you should be shopping around for a Lewes conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor should advise you fully on all the issues.

Back In 2002, I bought a leasehold house in Lewes. Conveyancing and Godiva Mortgages Ltd mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing solicitor in Lewes who previously acted has now retired.Any advice?

First contact the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Lewes conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am attracted to a couple of apartments in Lewes both have about 50 years remaining on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Lewes from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Lewes can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers representatives.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Lewes leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such works. If you fail to have the paperwork in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer before hand.
• Some Lewes leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are 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 freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate is often a time consuming formality and slows down many a Lewes conveyancing transaction. If a new share certificate is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your solicitors. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is below 80 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

I purchased a studio flat in Lewes, conveyancing was carried out 5 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Lewes with over 90 years remaining are worth £191,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease finishes on 21st October 2103

With 77 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £10,500 and £12,000 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.