I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have just been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Dawlish. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Dawlish are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Dawlish in which case you should be shopping around for a Dawlish conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

I am attracted to a couple of apartments in Dawlish which have about 50 years left on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property 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 advisable to increase the term of the lease. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Dawlish. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
• Many landlords or managing agents in Dawlish levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding 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 cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dawlish.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £400000 flat in Dawlish next Friday . The landlords agents has quoted £408 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Dawlish?

Dawlish conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not necessitates the buyer’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries most will be willing to assist. They are at liberty levy a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it exceeds £800. The management information fee demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the invoice is technically not due. In reality one has little option but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to complete the sale of your home.

I own a 1 bedroom flat in Dawlish, conveyancing having been completed in 2009. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Dawlish with over 90 years remaining are worth £268,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 invoiced every year. The lease ends on 21st October 2101

You have 77 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £12,400 and £14,200 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

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Lease Extensions in Dawlish