Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Little Burstead. Before diving in I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Little Burstead - 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.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Little Burstead. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Little Burstead are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Little Burstead so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Little Burstead conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Little Burstead. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Little Burstead from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Little Burstead can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers solicitors.
• The majority freeholders or managing agents in Little Burstead charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Little Burstead.

Completion in due on the disposal of our £500000 maisonette in Little Burstead next Monday . The freeholder has quoted £396 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Little Burstead?

Little Burstead conveyancing on leasehold flats usually requires the buyer’s solicitor submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions the majority will be content to do so. They are at liberty levy a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is above £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the charge is not strictly payable. In reality you have no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I bought a garden flat in Little Burstead, conveyancing formalities finalised 10 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Little Burstead with a long lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2080

With just 60 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £19,000 and £22,000 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs 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 additional issues 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 getting professional advice.

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Lease Extensions in Little Burstead