Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in St Leonards On Sea. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in St Leonards On Sea should include some of the following:

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
• Does the lease prevent you from letting out the flat, or working from home
• 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 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.
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

I have just started marketing my basement apartment in St Leonards On Sea.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay the service charge 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.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a St Leonards On Sea conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a St Leonards On Sea 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 talk with two or three firms including non St Leonards On Sea conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?
• What volume of lease extensions have they completed in St Leonards On Sea in the last twenty four months?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in St Leonards On Sea with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in St Leonards On Sea can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers representatives.
• The majority landlords or managing agents in St Leonards On Sea charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding 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 St Leonards On Sea.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in St Leonards On Sea state that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. If you dont have the consents to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer first.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy formality and frustrates many a St Leonards On Sea home move. If a reissued share is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
• You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your solicitors. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is under 80 years. It is therefore important 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 property on the market for sale.

What makes a St Leonards On Sea lease unmortgageable?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in St Leonards On Sea. All leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain sections are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the building
• A duty to insure the building
• 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

A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Yorkshire Building Society, Skipton Building Society, and Bank of Ireland all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to withdraw.

I purchased a studio flat in St Leonards On Sea, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in St Leonards On Sea with a long lease are worth £200,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2104

With only 78 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £12,400 and £14,200 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.