Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Radcliffe:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Radcliffe, you will need to appoint a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Santander, Birmingham Midshires or NatWest make sure you choose a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Top Five Questions relating to Radcliffe leasehold conveyancing

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Radcliffe. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Radcliffe are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Radcliffe in which case you should be looking for a Radcliffe conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to 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 to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.

I own a leasehold house in Radcliffe. Conveyancing and Barclays Direct mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Radcliffe who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

First contact HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Radcliffe conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I am looking at a couple of flats in Radcliffe which have about 50 years remaining on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Radcliffe is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the salability of the property. For most buyers and mortgage companies, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Radcliffe conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I work for a busy estate agent office in Radcliffe where we see a few flat sales jeopardised due to short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Radcliffe conveyancing solicitors. Could you confirm whether the seller of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start 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 for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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 Radcliffe from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

  • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Radcliffe can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
  • Many landlords or managing agents in Radcliffe levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Radcliffe.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Radcliffe leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord approving such works. If you dont have the paperwork in place you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor in advance.
  • A minority of Radcliffe leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying 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.
  • You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but you should double-check via your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. It is therefore important at an early stage 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.

    • Leasehold Conveyancing in Radcliffe - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

      Best to be warned whether redecorating or some other major work is coming up that will be shared between the tenants and will materially impact the level of the service charges or necessitate a specific invoice. The answer will be useful as a) areas may cause problems for the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if services are not paid for b) if the tenants have an issue with the running of the building you will wish to have full disclosure How many years remain on the lease?

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    Lease Extensions in Radcliffe