Leasehold Coach House

oggy1511_2

we didnt know it was leasehold until we got a letter from bovis then when we questioned it with the solictor she said it would only be a leasehold until the other 2 properties had been sold that had garages underneath us then it would become a freehold. we had never heard of a leasehold befor until we got the letter so we never knew aboutr ground rent. On the Sales Reservation form there is a space stating how much the ground rent would be and this was never filled out. So we was none the wiser to be fair. only ever bought one property the one we are part exchanging.
Thanks Oggy

mcc100

Strapped wrote: »

I wouldn't buy a coach house over someone else's garage in a million years, btw.

Completely agree.

It's your choice but there's no way that I would want to be living over someone else's garage.

I assume this flat is priced lower than others ......

Seanymph

If you are above a garage it will never become a freehold - it can't - it can become a flying freehold, effectively a freehold that 'floats' above ground someone else owns, but then you'll have problems selling it because very few banks like flying freeholds, and I have to say I've only ever heard of it when a room or part of a room goes over the next door property when one big house has been made into two.

Is your solicitor truly idependent?

You need to not let naivety or inexperience allow you to make a bad decision here - involve parents, or older friends, and get some serious legal advice.

Richard_Webster

You really must spend a bit of time trying to understand what is going on. It is clear that you are confused and you need to sit down with your solicitor and get him to explain it all slowly and make sure you understand what he says and if you don't then ask.

You may be able to buy the freehold of the whole building not just the flat - some coach houses are sold that way in the first place - but then you become landlord to the owners of the garages and if any repairs to building are necessary then you may well have to organise it and whatever the separate leases of the garages may say it may be difficult in practice to get the garage owners to co-operate - but if the property is new that wouldn't be a concern for quite a few years.

It should have been made clear that as well as a service charge there was also ground rent and that the coach house was being sold leasehold.