Jane (my partner) and I may need to let out our Sands End ground floor flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Sands End conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

The lease governs relations between the landlord and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. The majority of leases in Sands End do not prevent subletting altogether – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a copy of the sublease.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Sands End. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Sands End should include some of the following:

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
• Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
• An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
• Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• Repair and maintenance of the flat
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Sands End. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Sands End are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Sands End in which case you should be shopping around for a Sands End conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

I am attracted to a two apartments in Sands End both have about 50 years remaining on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Sands End. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Sands End from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Sands End can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers solicitors.
• Many landlords or managing agents in Sands End charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Sands End.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Sands End leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such changes. If you dont have the approvals in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor first.
• A minority of Sands End leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet 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 buyers or their solicitors.
• If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Organising a duplicate share certificate can be a time consuming process and slows down many a Sands End conveyancing deal. If a duplicate share certificate is required, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

I inherited a ground floor flat in Sands End. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the sum due for a lease extension?

Where there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to arrive at the sum to be paid.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Sands End residence is 29 Sisters Avenue in April 2013. The Tribunal camme to the conclusion that the entire freehold should be transferred by the landlord to the nominee purchaser. The price to be paid was the sum of £53,527. This had been arrived at by applying a deferment rate of 5.25% to the freehold reversion and relativity of 95.4% to the leasehold values. This case affected 4 flats. The unexpired lease term was 85.78 years.

I invested in buying a basement flat in Sands End, conveyancing was carried out 2007. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in Sands End with over 90 years remaining are worth £229,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 invoiced annually. The lease ends on 21st October 2080

With only 54 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £28,500 and £33,000 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.