Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Chislehurst. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Chislehurst - 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’m about to sell my 2 bed flat in Chislehurst.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should 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've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Chislehurst. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Chislehurst are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Chislehurst so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Chislehurst conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two flats in Chislehurst both have in the region of 50 years left on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Chislehurst. The lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the value of the lease reduces and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. It is often difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Chislehurst with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Chislehurst can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers lawyers.
• Many freeholders or managing agents in Chislehurst charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Chislehurst.
• Some Chislehurst leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, 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 hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and slows down many a Chislehurst home move. If a reissued share is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.
• You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check via your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is below 75 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

Following months of negotiations we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Chislehurst. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

in cases where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Chislehurst property is 70 Andace Park Gardens 133-149 Widmore Road in November 2013. Tribunal determined that the premium payable for the lease extension was £10,052 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 72 years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Chislehurst - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

This question is helpful as a) areas can result in problems in the building as the common areas may start to deteriorate where repairs are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the running of the building you will need to have complete disclosure