Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Sunningdale

Get a Quote

Leasehold conveyancing in Sunningdale 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 Sunningdale and across next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Questions and Answers: Sunningdale leasehold conveyancing

I would like to sublet my leasehold flat in Sunningdale. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

A lease dictates the relationship between the landlord and you the flat owner; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. The majority of leases in Sunningdale do not contain subletting altogether – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the flat. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a copy of the sublease.

Planning to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Sunningdale. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they report fully within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
  • You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • 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
  • 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
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames
  • What you can do if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Sunningdale please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Sunningdale

    • I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Sunningdale which have approximately 50 years unexpired on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

    There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Sunningdale is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the salability of the premises. The majority of buyers and mortgage companies, leases with under eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Sunningdale conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

    Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Sunningdale conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Sunningdale conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you talk with several firms including non Sunningdale conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

    • How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?
  • How many lease extensions have they carried out in Sunningdale in the last year?

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Sunningdale with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Sunningdale can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers solicitors.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in Sunningdale levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. 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 common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Sunningdale.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Sunningdale state that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you dont have the paperwork to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer first.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and 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 prior to 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 unresolved.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a replacement share certificate can be a time consuming process and frustrates many a Sunningdale home move. Where a duplicate share certificate is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • Sunningdale Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

      On the whole the outlay for major works tend not to be wrapped into the maintenance charges, albeit that some managing agents in Sunningdale ask leasehold owners to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against major works. What prohibitions are contained in the Sunningdale Lease? What is the yearly service fee and ground rent?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Sunningdale