Buying a Maisonette

BigG10

Hi All,

So, with our current propety probably about to fall through :-( We are thinking of going back to the drawing board.

We may be thinking of maisonettes.

Can there be conveyancing problems with them? Our solicitors have told us to be aware.

We live in a Maisonette now and, from memory, there weren't any problems.

Anyone with any experience?

hazyjo

It's just a flat with its own front door isn't it? (Usually on more than one level.) Don't see what different 'problems' they'll throw up compared to flats.

Is there something specific you've been advised about? What sort of 'conveyancing problems'?

Jx

AlexMac

Agree hazyjo- just the usual glitches that you'll get with a leasehold purchase, which often seem to be slightly trickier than a freehold, while your solicitor subjects the lease to minute scrutiny to ensure you don't have the 'freeholder from hell' that some leaseholders occasionally get saddled with. We walked away from a BTL purchase last year when we found (from google) that the freehold company were really difficult and had alredy fought off a 'right to manage' attempt by the leaeholders of the block of maisonettes, and were chargeing through the nose for maintenance of a group heating system (and also cahrging the earth even to answer solictors' freeholder questionnaire!).

On the other hand, we were delighted with our last leasehold flat (in a block of six, on joint freehold, so almost as much control as a freehold) are really happy with the local authority freeholder of a little BTL maisonette which we own. We would be happy to live there- reasonable service charges and good maintenance standards.

Assuming it's a leasehold that is; a flying freehold could be problematic for some future purchasers or their lenders too. Good luck

Richard_Webster

No different from flats in principle. Very often there is no service charge and you are responsible for maintaining and insuring your part of the building. The insurance aspect is not ideal because you can't be sure that the other flat owner above or below you is insuring his flat. However, in practical terms this does save the whole business of setting up a service charge system and having a managing agent to operate it when usually there is very little that is communal that needs to be looked after in this way.

To protect against lack or under insurance by the other lessee it is pretty standard these days for buyers' solicitors to ask for a Contingent Buildings Insurance Policy which for a one-off premium will pay out if there is no or inadequate buildings insurance on the other maisonette.