Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Hammersmith:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Hammersmith, you will need to chose a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Clydesdale , Birmingham Midshires or Bradford & Bingley be sure to find a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Frequently asked questions relating to Hammersmith leasehold conveyancing

Planning to exchange soon on a studio apartment in Hammersmith. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Hammersmith should include some of the following:

  • The physical extent of the property. This will be the property itself but could also incorporate a roof space or cellar if appropriate.
  • Does the lease prevent you from renting out the property, or working from home
  • You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Hammersmith please ask your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Hammersmith

    • I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Hammersmith. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

    Most houses in Hammersmith 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 purchasing in Hammersmith in which case you should be looking for a Hammersmith conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.

    I am employed by a busy estate agent office in Hammersmith where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales put at risk due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given contradictory information from local Hammersmith conveyancing solicitors. Could you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

    As long as the seller has owned the lease 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. This means that the buyer need not have 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 prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

    Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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 purchaser.

    Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Hammersmith conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Hammersmith conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non Hammersmith conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

    • How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?

    • Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Hammersmith with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Hammersmith can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
    • The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Hammersmith charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Hammersmith.
  • Some Hammersmith leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual 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 have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where a dispute is ongoing. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over rather than unresolved.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Organising a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and slows down many a Hammersmith home move. If a duplicate share is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this as soon as possible.

    • I am the registered owner of a two-bedroom flat in Hammersmith. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the sum due for a lease extension?

    Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a Hammersmith conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Hammersmith flat is 19 Crisp Road in June 2009. Following a vesting order (Under section 26 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993) The tribunal determined that the premium payable for the acquisition of the freehold was £33,756,apportioned as to£12,285 for the lower at and £21,471for the upper fat. This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 68.32 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Hammersmith