Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Deeside. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Deeside - 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.

My fiance and I may need to rent out our Deeside basement flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Deeside conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Deeside do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

I have recently realised that I have 62 years unexpired on my lease in Deeside. I now wish to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent should be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document to be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Deeside.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Deeside. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Deeside ?

The majority of houses in Deeside are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Deeside in which case you should be shopping around for a Deeside conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in 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 to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Deeside conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Deeside conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Deeside 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:

• What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Deeside in the last year?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Deeside who can give a testimonial?

Deeside Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

In the main the outlay for major works are not included within maintenance charges, although some managing agents in Deeside obliged leasehold owners to pay into a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of building a fund for larger works. Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the tenants? Plenty Deeside leasehold apartments will have a service bill for the upkeep of the block set on behalf of the management company. If you buy the property you will have to pay this charge, normally quarterly during the year. This can vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a significant sum, say about £25-£75 but you should to check it because occasionally it can be many hundreds of pounds.