I purchased a freehold house in Harlow yet charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Harlow and has limited impact for conveyancing in Harlow but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be extinguished.

I can see plenty of here regarding conveyancing in Harlow but what is your top tip for appointing the right conveyancer in Harlow

Do not opt for the lowest Harlow conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of the deal.

My partner and I are spending time looking at flats in Harlow and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it sensible to have my on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a home loan with .

It would be sensible to commence your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the EA. Given that you are getting a mortgage with , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the conveyancing panel.

I have a mortgage with for my property in Harlow. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform ?

You must advise in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of ’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact directly. You need not do this via a conveyancing panel lawyer.

I moved into my flat on 13 September and the transaction details is not yet on the land registry website. Need I be worried? My conveyancing solicitor in Harlow said it should be formalised inside ten days. Are transfers in Harlow particularly slow to register?

As far as conveyancing in Harlow registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can adjust according to who lodges the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry need to notify any third parties. Currently in the region of 80% of such applications are fully dealt with in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be protracted delays. Historically registration takes place once the purchaser has moved in to the premises therefore post completion formalities is not usually primary concern but where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer should communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

Is it best to instruct a Harlow conveyancing practitioner who is local to the property I am buying? We have a good friend who can conduct the legal work however his firm is located approximately 350kilometers drive away.

The primary upside of using a high street Harlow conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to sign paperwork, hand in your ID and pester them if necessary. Having local Harlow know how is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust used your friend and in the main were happy that must outweigh using an unknown Harlow conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being local.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Harlow. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Harlow are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Harlow so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Harlow conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

I am the registered owner of a 2 bed flat in Harlow, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable properties in Harlow with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 50

You have 50 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £36,100 and £41,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing 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 issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.