My aunt passed away six months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Bardsley. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £5k. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Kent Reliance, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?

Given you plan to re-mortgage then Kent Reliance will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Kent Reliance conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Kent Reliance mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

How does conveyancing in Bardsley differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Bardsley approach us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because new home sellers in Bardsley tend to acquire the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Bardsley or who has acted in the same development.

Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Bardsley before retaining conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. My surveyor advised that some lenders may not give a mortgage on such a property.

It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different instructions from Halifax. If you contact us we can investigate further with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Bardsley. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Bardsley to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £200,000 garden flat in Bardsley in 8 days. The managing agents has quoted £312 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Bardsley?

Bardsley conveyancing on leasehold flats usually requires the buyer’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer these enquiries most will be content to assist. They may levy a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it exceeds £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality one has little option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Bardsley - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Make sure you discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example it is fairly common in Bardsley leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Bardsley. If you like the flatin Bardsley but your cat is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard decision. Where a Bardsley lease has no more than eighty years it will affect the salability of the flat. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are happy with residual term of the lease. A short lease means that you will most likely need a lease extension at some point and it is worth discovering how much this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would be required to have been the owner of the premises for two years in order to be eligible to exercise a lease extension. This information is helpful as a) areas could result in problems for the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate where maintenance are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will want to know about it

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Bardsley. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Bardsley ?

Most houses in Bardsley are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Bardsley so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Bardsley conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.