Leasehold Conveyancing Lawyers
Specialist Fixed Fee Conveyancing Lawyers
Expert Leasehold Conveyancing Lawyers in Suffolk
Leasehold property is created when a lease is granted out of a freehold title. A lease is a long tenancy, typically between 99 and 999 years. The lease will contain conditions and use and ownership, which will need to be looked over by a specialist conveyancing solicitor or a licenced conveyancer.
Fixed Rates
Low-Cost Conveyancing Fees
No Hidden Costs
Experienced Lawyers
Personalised Service
Fast Turnaround
No Sale No Fee Guarantee
What is Leasehold Conveyancing?
Leasehold properties, which are properties built on land owned by somebody else, can also be subject to conveyancing, so long as they have appropriate lease plans in place. Leasehold sites are documented by the Land Registry, the government body responsible for maintaining consistent land and property ownership across the country.
Leasehold property is created when a lease is granted out of a freehold title. A lease is a long tenancy, typically between 99 and 999 years. The lease will contain conditions of use and ownership, which need to be looked at carefully by a specialist conveyancing solicitor or licensed conveyancer.
Leasehold Conveyancing Key Points
Leasehold is a certain type of property tenure that comes with its own unique legal rights and obligations. Leaseholds are a specialist area of property law and it is always advisable to seek the advice of legal professional such as a specialist solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer before entering into any leasehold agreements. We’ll explain some of the key points in this rundown.
Length of Lease Term
The length of the term is very important as this will have a direct impact on the value of the property. If the term is too short, this can put off potential mortgage lenders and will narrow your market on any re-sale. Relatively speaking, the longer the term, the greater the value of the property.
Responsibilities & Obligations with Leasehold Properties
Leases vary from one property to another and so it’s important that you understand your legal rights and obligations when purchasing a leasehold property. This would include rights of access over common-parts, obligations on paying service charges, restrictive covenants which might prevent you from using the property for certain purposes. Hillfort can advise on all aspects of the lease so that you are able to make an informed decision before proceeding.
Budget for Unforeseen Costs
With many leasehold properties, there will be an obligation on the leaseholder to pay ground rent, service charges and a contribution to the building insurance. It is important to have a specialist solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer review these to ensure that the lease does not include a rent-review clause which increases the ground rent to an unreasonable level or if any major works are planned whether this might increase the service charges payable by you in the future.
For general advice on conveyancing and other related legal matters, get in touch with us today.
The Hillfort Law Firm Process
Our Leasehold Conveyancing Process
Step 1
Initial Call and Quote
In your initial telephone call or contact form to Hillfort, we can discuss the best conveyancing deal for you, the type of leasehold property you are seeking to buy or sell and other details before providing a quote for our service.
Step 2
Checks and Reviews
For the best running start, we will perform all necessary checks, reviews and verifications – you’ll be impressed with our speed and efficiency. These verifications include identity confirmations, Stamp Duty Land Tax calculations, bankruptcy checks, HM Land Registry title deed reviews, and more.
Step 3
Land Registry Title Documents Exchanged
For leasehold conveyancing, Land Registry title documents are exchanged between the involved parties, as well as other forms and contracts that need to be carefully read through and signed.
Step 4
Instruct Your New Lawyer
Your specialist lawyer will be ready and able to assist you in all conveyancing affairs. Following the initial consultation and the signing of all T&C documents, our trained lawyer will be at your disposal to act on your behalf in all your legal conveyancing affairs.
Why Choose Hillfort Law Firm?
Fixed Rates
As mentioned, we have fixed prices for our conveyancing services. With no hourly rate to worry about, our fixed fees help to give our customers the ability to accurately budget for their transaction.
Low Cost
Our conveyancing fees are extremely fair and affordable. Our state-of-the-art case management systems and our streamlined business model enable us to offer such a great, competitively priced service.
No Sale No Fee
You read correctly, you will not pay any legal fees for failed or incomplete property transactions, rare as these cases may be. This No Sale No Fee pledge can help assuage any feelings of risk when applying for your property transaction with Hillfort.
Experienced Lawyers
Hillfort is owned and operated solely by Adam Muldoon. Having studied hard for a prestigious 2.1 law degree, Adam has been working in law for over 20 years, 10 years of which have been dedicated entirely to conveyancing.
Personalised Service
The principal lawyer takes a distinctly personalised approach to his work and he is always keen to form close rapports with clients. When a would-be client calls Hillfort Law Firm for assistance with conveyancing, they will always receive the same reliable, direct service. No delays, no jargon, and no playing favourites.
Fast Turnaround
Our aim is to deliver our service within 6-8 weeks. We are able to deliver such a fast service because, unlike some law firms, we do not inundate ourselves with masses of clients that have no hope of getting the attention they require. Instead, we carefully book our clients in a way that guarantees a timely service for all.
No Hidden Costs
We will provide you with a fixed fee quotation at the outset of your transaction. Should your matter be more complex and requires additional work over and above that quoted, we will notify you of such costs payable before proceeding.
Great Communication
Experiencing long periods of radio silence with your hired law firm can be stressful. We maintain regular contact with our customers throughout our professional relationships, with clear and concise updates. We try to minimise the amount of confusing legal jargon wherever possible.
Leasehold Conveyancing
Client Testimonials
Our previous clients have provided some great feedback and reviews. Take a look through their testimonials.
To discuss your leasehold conveyancing requirements, or, to enquire about our conveyancing services, request a callback for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Leasehold Conveyancing FAQs
How long does leasehold conveyancing take?
While leasehold conveyancing may take a few more steps than a standard freehold conveyancing job, we still aim to provide this service within a timeframe of 6-8 weeks. We keep you updated on our progress every step of the day and, in the event that unexpected delays occur, you will be informed sooner than anyone.
What does leasehold ownership mean?
This refers to the legal owner of a leased property. They exist in contrast to traditional freehold properties, fully possessed by a single owner. Leasehold leases can arise from properties that were originally classed as freehold. Leasehold properties tend to be part of larger accommodation complexes like blocks of flats.
What are the differences between freehold and leasehold properties?
Simply, freehold properties are owned entirely by the residential proprietors, while leasehold properties are leased out to occupants by the actual owners. Leasehold properties tend to be part of larger shared accommodation complexes, like blocks of flats. Leasehold owners do not have any claim of ownership over the land their property stands on, unlike freehold owners.
For leasehold properties, when do the leases expire?
Leases can be astronomically huge, stretching up to 999 years – nearly a full millennium. The minimum lease is usually around 99 years. You may be wondering why the maximum lease time needs to be extended to over ten times longer than the possible human lifespan – previously, the maximum was only 99 years, so this extension policy was implemented to save leaseholders headaches when it came to mortgage applications on leases that were close to expiring.
What kinds of properties are leasehold?
Flats are the most common leasehold property types, as it is rare for them to be anything but that. Certain older-build houses from the Georgian and Victorian eras may be classed as leasehold.
Licenced Conveyancing Services
Other Conveyancing Services
Beyond leasehold conveyancing, we offer great deals on various other conveyancing services as well.
Residential Conveyancing
Intimately experienced with residential property transactions, Hillfort has assisted thousands of clients with their conveyancing needs and is here to assist with any conveyancing queries you may have.
Remortgage Conveyancing
If you are transferring to a new lender or taking out a mortgage on your mortgage-free property then you will require a solicitor or conveyancer to help with the legal side of things.
Auction Conveyancing
For help with auction purchases, we deliver an impressively fast, streamlined service for our clients, as well as plenty of legal advice throughout the whole process. Before buying at auction it is advisable to instruct a specialist solicitor or property lawyer to advise you on all the legal aspects of the title and contract before you commit to making a bid.