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

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Any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Stamford Bridge, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Frequently asked questions relating to Stamford Bridge leasehold conveyancing

I only have Sixty One years left on my flat in Stamford Bridge. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. 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 submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the freeholder. For most situations a specialist should be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Stamford Bridge.

Planning to complete next month on a leasehold property in Stamford Bridge. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
  • Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
  • You need to be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • 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? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Stamford Bridge please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Stamford Bridge

    • I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Stamford Bridge. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Stamford Bridge ?

    Most houses in Stamford Bridge are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Stamford Bridge in which case you should be looking for a Stamford Bridge conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.

    Back In 2007, I bought a leasehold house in Stamford Bridge. Conveyancing and Lloyds TSB Bank mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing solicitor in Stamford Bridge who previously acted has long since retired.What should I do?

    First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Stamford Bridge conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

    Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Stamford Bridge from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Stamford Bridge can be reduced where you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers solicitors.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in Stamford Bridge levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought 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 frequent reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Stamford Bridge.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Stamford Bridge state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Where you fail to have the consents to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer before hand.
  • A minority of Stamford Bridge leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents 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 purchasers or their lawyers.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase 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 settle 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 details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over rather than unsettled.

    • I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Stamford Bridge, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Stamford Bridge with an extended lease are worth £236,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2074

    With only 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £33,300 and £38,400 as well as professional fees.

    The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Stamford Bridge