I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (five years built) in Bickley. Almost all the properties are already disposed of. Do I need carry out the conveyancing searches as part of conveyancing in Bickley?

A big part of the Bickley conveyancing process is the conveyancing searches. There are hundreds companies who offer Bickley conveyancing searches, as well direct from the local authority. These are known collectively as personal search providers due to them carrying out, personal searches. Nevertheless, all Local Authority Search conveyancing products have one thing in common - they must obtain their data from the local authoritative source.

Is there a reason why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Bickley costs more?

In summary, leasehold conveyancing in Bickley and usually involve extra hours of investigation compared to freehold conveyancing. This includes checking the lease terms, liaising with the landlord about serving applicable notices, obtaining up-to-date service charge and management information, obtaining the freeholder’s consents and reviewing management accounts. The obligations on both the landlord and the tenant in the lease need to be studied by the buyer’s conveyancing team and read from beginning to end – no matter how many different proprietor have owned the lease since it was first granted.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Bickley?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Bickley. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one close by in Bickley I like with a park and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Bickley for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage that many years will be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

Bickley Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before buying

How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their maintenance charge payments? Best to be warned whether window replacement or some other significant cost is anticipated that will be shared amongst the leasehold owners and will materially impact the level of the maintenance costs or necessitate a specific invoice. How much is the ground rent and service charge?