Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Worthing:

Get a Quote

Any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Worthing, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Common questions relating to Worthing leasehold conveyancing

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Worthing. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Worthing - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Worthing. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • Setting out your rights in relation to common areas in the block.For instance, does the lease include a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
  • Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
  • You should be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
  • 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 the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Worthing please ask your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Worthing

    • My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Worthing. Conveyancing and Britannia mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Worthing who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

    The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Worthing conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, 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 couple of maisonettes in Worthing both have in the region of 50 years left on the leases. should I be concerned?

    There are plenty of short leases in Worthing. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field

    Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Worthing from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Worthing can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Worthing state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. Where you fail to have the consents to hand do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer before hand.
  • A minority of Worthing leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual 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 lawyers.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where a dispute is ongoing. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of 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 clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.
  • You believe that you know 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 where the remaining number of years is below 75 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • I acquired a 2 bed flat in Worthing, conveyancing having been completed 8 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent flats in Worthing with an extended lease are worth £220,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 2098

    With only 72 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

    The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Worthing