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

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Woodley. 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'm buying my first flat in Woodley with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not inform my lawyer about this deal as it will impact my mortgage with the bank. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Woodley I like with open areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Woodley in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.

We're first time buyers - agreed a price, but the agent has warned us that the owners will only move forward if we appoint their chosen conveyancers as they need a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a high street conveyancer used to conveyancing in Woodley

We suspect that the owner is unaware of this requirement. Should the owner want ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a serious buyer is counter productive. Bypass the agents and go straight to the owners and explain that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to appoint your preferred Woodley conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will provide the estate agent a kickback or achieve conveyancing figures demanded by corporate headquarters.

I only have Seventy years remaining on my flat in Woodley. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you have used your best endeavours to find the lessor. In some cases a specialist may be helpful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Woodley.

I own a studio flat in Woodley, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Woodley with over 90 years remaining are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2086

With only 61 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £19,000 and £22,000 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.