Due to sign contracts shortly on a leasehold property in Stretford. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they will have a report out to me within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Setting out your legal entitlements in respect of common areas in the block.By way of example, does the lease grant a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
• Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?
• Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the flat, or having a home office for business
• Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• Repair and maintenance of the flat
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

I’m about to sell my garden apartment in Stretford.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is discharge 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 managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until 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.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Stretford. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Stretford are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Stretford so you should seriously consider looking for a Stretford conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

I am employed by a busy estate agency in Stretford where we have witnessed a few flat sales put at risk as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given conflicting advice from local Stretford conveyancing firms. Please can you confirm whether the owner of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

We expect to complete the disposal of our £ 275000 apartment in Stretford in 8 days. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Stretford?

Stretford conveyancing on leasehold apartments more often than not necessitates the purchaser’s conveyancer sending enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address such questions most will be content to do so. They may charge a reasonable charge for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it is above £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

I purchased a 1st floor flat in Stretford, conveyancing formalities finalised 2010. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding properties in Stretford with an extended lease are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2079

You have 53 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.