I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Long Eaton. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Long Eaton - 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.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in Long Eaton.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge 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 managing agents 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Long Eaton. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Long Eaton ?

Most houses in Long Eaton are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Long Eaton so you should seriously consider looking for a Long Eaton conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will report to you on the legal implications.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Long Eaton from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Long Eaton can be bypassed where 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’ lawyers.
• Many landlords or Management Companies in Long Eaton levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Long Eaton.

If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge 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 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 better to present the dispute as over as opposed to unresolved.

If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Organising a replacement share certificate is often a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Long Eaton conveyancing deal. Where a duplicate share is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) 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 wise to verify this by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is under 75 years. It is therefore essential 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 home on the market for sale.

Completion in due on the sale of our £225000 garden flat in Long Eaton next Wednesday . The landlords agents has quoted £336 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Long Eaton?

Long Eaton conveyancing on leasehold flats ordinarily involves administration charges raised by freeholders :

• Completing pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Long Eaton
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Long Eaton leasehold property is £350. For Long Eaton 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 supply answers.

Long Eaton Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

In the main the outlay for major works are not built into the service charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Long Eaton obliged tenants to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific intention of building a fund for larger works. What restrictions exist in the Long Eaton Lease? Most Long Eaton leasehold properties will have a service charge for maintenance of the building levied by the management company. Should you buy the flat you will have to pay this charge, normally periodically throughout the year. This can vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. In all probability there will be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant sum, say approximately £50-£100 but you should to enquire as sometimes it can be prohibitively expensive.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Long Eaton