I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Sawtry. Before diving in I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Sawtry - 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.

My fiance and I may need to rent out our Sawtry ground floor flat for a while due to a new job. We instructed a Sawtry conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Sawtry do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Sawtry. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Sawtry are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Sawtry so you should seriously consider looking for a Sawtry conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Sawtry from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Sawtry can be avoided if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
• Many freeholders or managing agents in Sawtry charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. 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 Sawtry.

If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve 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 particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over rather than ongoing.

If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming process and delays many a Sawtry conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share certificate is required, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this via your lawyers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 75 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on our sale of a £325000 flat in Sawtry in 5 days. The managing agents has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Sawtry?

Sawtry conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually results in administration charges raised by managing agents :

• Answering conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Sawtry
• 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 Sawtry leasehold property is £350. For Sawtry 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 obliged to provide the information.

I bought a 2 bed flat in Sawtry, conveyancing having been completed in 2012. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Sawtry with a long lease are worth £220,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease expires on 21st October 2085

With 60 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £25,700 and £29,600 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

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Lease Extensions in Sawtry