Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Ickenham:

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Leasehold conveyancing in Ickenham 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 Ickenham and next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Ickenham

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Ickenham. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Ickenham - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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 only have 62 years unexpired on my lease in Ickenham. I need to extend my lease but my landlord is missing. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. For most situations a specialist may be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report to be used as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Ickenham.

Expecting to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Ickenham. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • The total extent of the premises. This will be the apartment itself but might incorporate a roof space or basement if applicable.
  • Setting out your rights in relation to the communal areas in the block.E.G., does the lease contain a right of way over a path or staircase?
  • Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
  • You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • 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
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Ickenham please ask your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Ickenham

    • I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of maisonettes in Ickenham which have approximately forty five years remaining on the leases. Will this present a problem?

    There are plenty of short leases in Ickenham. The lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

    Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Ickenham with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Ickenham can be reduced if you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
    • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Ickenham state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. If you fail to have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in the first instance.
  • A minority of Ickenham leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Arranging a duplicate share certificate is often a lengthy process and slows down many a Ickenham conveyancing transaction. If a reissued share certificate 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 remaining on your lease but it would be advisable verify this by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without any joy. Can a leaseholder apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Ickenham conveyancing firm to help?

    in cases where there is a absentee landlord or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to calculate the price payable.

    An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Ickenham property is Flat 72 Queens Walk in January 2013. The Tribunals calculated the premium payable to be £22,090. This case was in relation to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 53.26 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Ickenham