Leasehold Conveyancing in Sandhurst - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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While any conveyancing practice can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Sandhurst, your mortgage provider may unwilling to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Sandhurst leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years unexpired on my flat in Sandhurst. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the lessor. In some cases a specialist should be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Sandhurst.

Due to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Sandhurst. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Sandhurst should include some of the following:

  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
  • 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 rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • 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
  • What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Sandhurst please enquire of your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Sandhurst

    • Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed apartment in Sandhurst.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a half-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 management companies 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.

    What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Sandhurst conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Sandhurst conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Sandhurst conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

    • If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

    • Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Sandhurst with the aim of expediting the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Sandhurst can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
    • A minority of Sandhurst leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and 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 ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over rather than ongoing.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Obtaining a replacement share certificate is often a lengthy formality and frustrates many a Sandhurst home move. If a duplicate share is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the lease term is below 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Sandhurst, conveyancing having been completed 10 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding flats in Sandhurst with an extended lease are worth £184,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease terminates on 21st October 2077

    With 54 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as legals.

    The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Sandhurst