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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Leyland, you will need to chose a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Halifax, Yorkshire Building Society or NatWest be sure to find a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Frequently asked questions relating to Leyland leasehold conveyancing

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 since found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Leyland. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Leyland ?

Most houses in Leyland are freehold rather than 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 Leyland in which case you should be looking for a Leyland conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of apartments in Leyland which have about fifty years remaining on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease reduces and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. It is often difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you get professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area

I work for a reputable estate agent office in Leyland where we have experienced a few leasehold sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Leyland conveyancing solicitors. Could you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Leyland from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

  • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Leyland can be avoided where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
  • The majority landlords or managing agents in Leyland levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover 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 obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Leyland.
  • A minority of Leyland leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any 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 purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over rather than ongoing.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a replacement share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Leyland home move. Where a reissued share certificate is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

    • When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Leyland what are the most frequent lease problems?

    There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Leyland. Most leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain clauses are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
    • A duty to insure the building
    • Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
    • Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

    You will have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. HSBC Bank, Skipton Building Society, and Alliance & Leicester all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

    I acquired a 1 bedroom flat in Leyland, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1999. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable properties in Leyland with over 90 years remaining are worth £230,000. The ground rent is £60 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2096

    With only 75 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as professional fees.

    The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Leyland