Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in St Brides Major:

Leasehold conveyancing in St Brides Major is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in St Brides Major and across next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Top Five Questions relating to St Brides Major leasehold conveyancing

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

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in St Brides Major - 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.

Planning to exchange soon on a leasehold property in St Brides Major. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • Are pets allowed in the flat?
  • Does the lease prevent you from letting out the flat, or having a home office for business
  • An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • 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 the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in St Brides Major please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in St Brides Major

  • I am looking at a couple of apartments in St Brides Major which have in the region of 50 years left on the leases. Will this present a problem?

    A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area

    Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in St Brides Major from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in St Brides Major can be avoided if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in St Brides Major levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for 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 delay in leasehold conveyancing in St Brides Major.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? St Brides Major leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. Where you dont have the approvals to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer before hand.
  • A minority of St Brides Major leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to 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 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 purchasers or their solicitors.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to verify this via your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 75 years. In the circumstances it is essential 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 premises on the market for sale.

  • In relation to leasehold conveyancing in St Brides Major what are the most common lease defects?

    There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in St Brides Major. All leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
    • Insurance obligations
    • Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
    • Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

    You may encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Santander, Chelsea Building Society, and Britannia all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to pull out.

    St Brides Major Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

      Many St Brides Major leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service bill for the upkeep of the block levied by the landlord. Should you buy the property you will have to meet this liability, normally quarterly accross the year. This can differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal areas. In all probability there will be a ground rent to be met yearly, this is usually not a large sum, say around £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because on occasion it can be prohibitively expensive. Can you inform me if there are any major works in the near future that will likely increase the maintenance fees? Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in St Brides Major