Quality lawyers for Leasehold Conveyancing in Gallows Corner

Get a Quote

Leasehold conveyancing in Gallows Corner is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Gallows Corner and across next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Gallows Corner leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

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

The sensible thing to do is discharge the service charge 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 until 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Gallows Corner. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Gallows Corner ?

Most houses in Gallows Corner 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 Gallows Corner so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Gallows Corner conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to advising on 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 with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will report to you on the legal implications.

I am looking at a couple of flats in Gallows Corner which have approximately forty five years unexpired on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Gallows Corner. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. For this reason it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Gallows Corner conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Gallows Corner conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you talk with several firms including non Gallows Corner conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

  • How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Gallows Corner in the last twenty four months?
  • What are the costs for lease extension work?

    • Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Gallows Corner from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Gallows Corner can be avoided if you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers solicitors.
    • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Gallows Corner leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you fail to have the consents in place do not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor in advance.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to pay 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 ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than unsettled.
  • If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Organising a replacement share certificate is often a lengthy process and slows down many a Gallows Corner conveyancing transaction. Where a new share is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 75 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

    • I have had difficulty in negotiating a lease extension in Gallows Corner. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

    Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Gallows Corner conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Gallows Corner residence is 37 Lodge Court High Street in November 2013. the decision of the LVT was that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £25,559 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 57.5 years.