Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Sedgefield:

Get a Quote

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

Questions and Answers: Sedgefield leasehold conveyancing

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Sedgefield. Before I get started I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Sedgefield - 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.

Looking forward to exchange soon on a garden flat in Sedgefield. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
  • Are pets allowed in the flat?
  • Does the lease prevent you from renting out the property, or working from home
  • 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.
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Sedgefield please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Sedgefield

    • I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Sedgefield. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Sedgefield ?

    The majority of houses in Sedgefield are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Sedgefield so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Sedgefield conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

    My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Sedgefield. Conveyancing and Godiva Mortgages Ltd mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Sedgefield who previously acted has now retired.Any advice?

    First contact the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Sedgefield conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

    Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Sedgefield from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Sedgefield can be reduced if you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ lawyers.
    • Many freeholders or managing agents in Sedgefield levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Sedgefield.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Sedgefield leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord consenting to such changes. Where you fail to have the paperwork to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor first.
  • Some Sedgefield leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • 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 reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is ongoing. 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 will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over rather than unsettled.

    • Sedgefield Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

      Can you inform me if there are any major works in the planning that will increase the service costs? What prohibitions are contained in the Sedgefield Lease? How is the lease structured?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Sedgefield