Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Lunt:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Lunt, you will need to instruct a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Halifax, RBS or NatWest be sure to choose a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Lunt leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

I’m about to sell my ground floor flat in Lunt.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Lunt both have about forty five years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in Lunt. The lease is a right to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease shortens the value of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is generally wise to extend the lease term. 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 extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area

Last month I purchased a leasehold house in Lunt. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Lunt conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Lunt conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Lunt conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

  • If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Lunt in the last 12 months?

    • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Lunt from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Lunt can be reduced where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • Many landlords or managing agents in Lunt levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Lunt.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Lunt state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. Should you dont have the consents to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer in advance.
  • A minority of Lunt leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the yearly 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 purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a new share certificate can be a time consuming formality and slows down many a Lunt conveyancing deal. Where a new share is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

    • Lunt Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

      What is the length of the lease? How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? How is the lease structured?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Lunt