I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a leasehold property in Shacklewell. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The physical extent of the property. This will be the apartment itself but may include a loft or basement if applicable.

Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?

Does the lease prevent you from subletting the flat, or working from home

You should 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

I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required

What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Shacklewell please enquire of your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Shacklewell

I've found a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Shacklewell. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Shacklewell are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Shacklewell so you should seriously consider looking for a Shacklewell conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.

I am a negotiator for a long established estate agency in Shacklewell where we have experienced a number of flat sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Shacklewell conveyancing firms. Can you confirm whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension process for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having 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 before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

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.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Shacklewell from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Shacklewell can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ lawyers.
• Some Shacklewell leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. 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 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.

If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and 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 will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over as opposed to unresolved.

If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Organising a replacement share certificate can be a time consuming process and frustrates many a Shacklewell home move. Where a reissued share certificate is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your solicitors. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 75 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on our sale of a £175000 apartment in Shacklewell next Monday . The landlords agents has quoted £300 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Shacklewell?

Shacklewell conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates fees being levied by managing agents :

• Completing conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Shacklewell
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Shacklewell leasehold property is £350. For Shacklewell conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide the information.

We have reached the end of our tether in seeking a lease extension in Shacklewell. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Most definitely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Shacklewell conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Shacklewell flat is 5C Stoke Newington Road in April 2010. the Tribunal therefore concludes that the premium to be paid for the extended lease is £700.00 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired term was 80.5 years.