Buying Freehold - been offered by the freeholder a free quote

JamesA123

Hi,

We've a house worth about 135,000 and have about 120 years left on our freehold. We're planning on selling during the first half of 2021 and a lot of the houses nearby are leasehold and still sell. The freehold manager (E&M) have been on suggesting that the company who actually own the lease want to sell up, and are offering free quotations, rather than £120 quote and we'll take it off the price when you buy. Attached to the letter they're asking lots of questions up front.

What I'm thinking is, is this a way of trying to get information out of us about the state of the house so they can charge us, or is the government about to do something with leaseholds that would adversely affect us.

We've also got a small extension that was put up nearly twenty years ago by a previous owner and I don't think they ever cleared it with the freeholders. I'm not sure if that will affect the property when we come to sell it.

Thanks

eddddy

I guess there's no harm in letting them give you a quote - if there's no charge.

But there is nothing to say that it will be a sensible or reasonable quote - they can ask for any amount they like.

As you suggest, it may be wise to be careful what information you tell them.