Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Sandbanks. Before I get started I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Sandbanks - 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.

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor flat in Sandbanks.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you pay 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 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 be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Sandbanks. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Sandbanks ?

The majority of houses in Sandbanks are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Sandbanks in which case you should be looking for a Sandbanks conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

I am employed by a busy estate agent office in Sandbanks where we have experienced a few flat sales jeopardised as a result of short leases. I have received conflicting advice from local Sandbanks conveyancing firms. Could you shed some light as to whether the seller 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 start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, 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 top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Sandbanks from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Sandbanks can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers solicitors.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Sandbanks leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer first.
• If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to present the dispute as over rather than unresolved.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Arranging a replacement share certificate can be a time consuming process and delays many a Sandbanks conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share certificate is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.
• You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but you should verify this by asking your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

Sandbanks Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

Generally speaking the outlay for major works are not included within maintenance charges, albeit that some managing agents in Sandbanks obliged leaseholders to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific intention of establishing a fund for major repairs or maintenance. Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the tenants?