I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Westhoughton. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Westhoughton 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 buying in Westhoughton in which case you should be shopping around for a Westhoughton conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.

Back In 2002, I bought a leasehold flat in Westhoughton. Conveyancing and Godiva Mortgages Ltd mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Westhoughton who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

First contact HMLR to be sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Westhoughton conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

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

There are plenty of short leases in Westhoughton. The lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the value of the lease reduces and it becomes more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is generally wise to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

I am employed by a long established estate agent office in Westhoughton where we see a number of flat sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Westhoughton conveyancing firms. Could you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has been the owner 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 proposed purchaser can avoid having to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Westhoughton with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Westhoughton can be reduced if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers conveyancers.
• Many landlords or managing agents in Westhoughton charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information 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 usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Westhoughton.

I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Westhoughton, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in Westhoughton with a long lease are worth £208,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease runs out on 21st October 2085

With just 62 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £17,100 and £19,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

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Lease Extensions in Westhoughton