Looking forward to complete next month on a basement flat in Wisbech. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they are sending me a report tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The total extent of the premises. This will be the apartment itself but could also include a roof space or cellar if appropriate.

Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?

Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change

Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?

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 is in violation of a provision in their lease?

What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Wisbech please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Wisbech

I work for a reputable estate agent office in Wisbech where we see a few flat sales derailed due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given contradictory information from local Wisbech conveyancing solicitors. Can you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser 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 prior to, 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.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Wisbech conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Wisbech conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Wisbech conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?

What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Wisbech with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Wisbech can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers lawyers.
• The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Wisbech charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Wisbech.

In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Wisbech state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. Where you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in advance.

If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a duplicate share certificate can be a lengthy formality and delays many a Wisbech home move. If a duplicate share is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is below 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £425000 apartment in Wisbech on Tuesday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £396 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Wisbech?

Wisbech conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes typically involves administration charges invoiced by managing agents :

• Addressing conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Wisbech
• 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 lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Wisbech leasehold property is £350. For Wisbech 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 obliged to provide the information.

Wisbech Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

In the main the outlay for major works tend not to be wrapped into the service charges, albeit that a few managing agents in Wisbech require leasehold owners to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance. Can you inform me if there are any major works anticipated that will increase the service costs? It would be a good idea to discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example some leases prohibit pets being allowed in in a block in Wisbech. If you love the propertyin Wisbech however your cat can’t move with you then you will be presented with a hard determination.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Wisbech