Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Barking:

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Top Five Questions relating to Barking leasehold conveyancing

Planning to exchange soon on a garden flat in Barking. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
  • Defining your rights in respect of common areas in the building.By way of example, does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
  • Whether the lease restricts you from subletting the property, or having a home office for business
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions) For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Barking please enquire of your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Barking

    • I have just started marketing my garden flat in Barking.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

    The sensible thing to do is clear the invoice 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 unless 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

    I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Barking. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Barking ?

    Most houses in Barking are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Barking so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Barking conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

    I've recently bought a leasehold property in Barking. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

    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. Strange as it may seem, 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).

    What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Barking conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Barking conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non Barking conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be of use:

    • What volume of lease extensions has the firm completed in Barking in the last year?
  • What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

    • I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Barking. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium due for a lease extension?

    Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a Barking conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Barking property is 240 Strone Road in January 2014. the tribunal held that the price to be paid for the freehold interest was£23,538 of which£13,017 is attributable to the ground floor flat and £10,521 to the first floor flat. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 65.5 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Barking