I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Warrington. Before diving in I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Warrington - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a leasehold property in Warrington. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Warrington should include some of the following:

• The physical extent of the property. This will be the apartment itself but might include a loft or cellar if applicable.
• Setting out your rights in relation to common areas in the building.For example, does the lease permit 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 having a home office for business
• 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 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
• What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?

I’m about to sell my ground floor apartment in Warrington.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you 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 management companies 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.

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Warrington conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Warrington conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non Warrington conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Warrington who can give a testimonial?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Warrington from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Warrington can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
• Many landlords or managing agents in Warrington levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Warrington.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Warrington state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. Should you fail to have the paperwork in place do not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor first.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a replacement share certificate can be a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Warrington conveyancing deal. Where a duplicate share certificate 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 lease term is below 75 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

Warrington Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

If a Warrington lease has less than 80 years it will affect the marketability of the flat. Check with your lender that they are happy with remaining years on the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will probably require a lease extension at some point and it is worth finding out how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will be be obliged to have been the owner of the residence for 24 months in order to be legally able to exercise a lease extension. Is there a share of the freehold?