Due to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Ormskirk. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The total extent of the property. This will be the property itself but could also incorporate a roof space or basement if applicable.

Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the property, or working from home

You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease

You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions

Repair and maintenance of the flat

Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)

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 a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Ormskirk please enquire of your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Ormskirk

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Ormskirk.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you discharge the service charge 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 unless 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 today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Ormskirk. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Ormskirk are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Ormskirk in which case you should be shopping around for a Ormskirk conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Ormskirk from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Ormskirk can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers solicitors.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Ormskirk state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer first.

A minority of Ormskirk leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should 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 financially capable of paying 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 buyers or their lawyers.

If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Arranging a duplicate share certificate is often a time consuming formality and slows down many a Ormskirk home move. Where a new share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

You believe that you know the number of years remaining 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 where the remaining number of years is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

We expect to complete the disposal of our £175000 flat in Ormskirk in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £408 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Ormskirk?

Ormskirk conveyancing on leasehold apartments ordinarily results in fees being levied by freeholders :

• Addressing pre-contract questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Ormskirk
• 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 Ormskirk leasehold premises is £350. For Ormskirk 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.

I invested in buying a ground floor flat in Ormskirk, conveyancing having been completed in 2002. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding flats in Ormskirk with over 90 years remaining are worth £180,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2085

With just 64 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £18,100 and £20,800 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Ormskirk