Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my garden flat in Woburn.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is discharge the service charge 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Woburn. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Woburn ?

The majority of houses in Woburn are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Woburn so you should seriously consider looking for a Woburn conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

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

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Woburn conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Woburn conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
• What volume of lease extensions has the firm completed in Woburn in the last twenty four months?

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Woburn from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Woburn can be reduced if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers representatives.
• Many freeholders or Management Companies in Woburn charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have 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 Woburn.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Woburn state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Where you dont have the consents in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer first.
• A minority of Woburn leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
• If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Obtaining a replacement share certificate is often a time consuming process and slows down many a Woburn home move. Where a duplicate share certificate is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £ 400000 flat in Woburn on Thursday in a week. The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Woburn?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Woburn conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

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

Woburn Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing