I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Stonehouse. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Stonehouse - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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 sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Stonehouse. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Defining your rights in relation to the communal areas in the building.By way of example, does the lease contain a right of way over an accessway or hallways?

Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?

Does the lease prevent you from renting out the flat, or working from home

Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?

Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)

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

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 Stonehouse please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Stonehouse

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Stonehouse.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you clear the invoice 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 management companies 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Stonehouse from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Stonehouse can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers solicitors.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Stonehouse leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord approving such alterations. Where you fail to have the consents in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer first.

Some Stonehouse leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet 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 buyers or their lawyers.

If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Obtaining a new share certificate can be a lengthy formality and delays many a Stonehouse home move. If a new share certificate is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

Completion in due on our sale of a £350000 apartment in Stonehouse next Tuesday . The management company has quoted £408 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Stonehouse?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Stonehouse conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Completing pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Stonehouse
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• 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 Stonehouse leasehold property is £350. For Stonehouse 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 required to supply the information.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Stonehouse - Sample of Queries before buying

What is the service charge and ground rent on the property? Are there any major works in the planning that will add a premium to the maintenance fees? On the whole the outlay for major works tend not to be included within maintenance charges, although there some managing agents in Stonehouse require tenants to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against major works.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Stonehouse