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Are Ex-Council Houses Freehold Or Leasehold?

Council Houses - Are Ex-Council Houses Freehold Or Leasehold

If your search for your next house you have found an ex-council house, you may be wondering if ex-council houses are freehold or leasehold properties. There is a big difference between freehold vs leasehold, which is why it’s important to know are ex council houses freehold or leasehold?

Most ex-council houses are freehold properties, which means you’ll have permanent and absolute tenure over the land and property included on the title plan, which means you will have freedom to dispose of it at will. But many council houses are bound by restrictive covenants you need to abide by.

If you buy an ex-council flat this will be leasehold, which is the same as any flat you buy including non-council flats. A leasehold property is a form of property ownership where it is leased from the freeholder.

Please also read this article to discover how you could save £71,475 on your next mortgage if you sell your house and rent before buying againEven I was amazed when I did the calculations! The strategies you learn in this article will not only save you money, but it will also reduce the stress of buying your next house.

Are council houses freehold?

Ex-council houses are mostly freehold, but to be sure ask the estate agent selling the house. If the estate agent doesn’t know, ask them to check with the seller. There’s nothing wrong if the ex-council house is leasehold, but freehold is better.

Your conveyancing solicitor will confirm the freehold title of the property. They will also confirm what covenants exist over the property, for example some ex-council houses have no “building without permission” covenants to prevent you from building an extension.

Other ex-council houses have covenants to protect the gardens, trees and shrubs too, but this is often no different to many non-council houses on estates. The covenants are the to protect your neighbours from changing the house or garden to an extend it will affect the values of nearby properties.

Please don’t forget to read this before you leave…

Please don’t forget to also read this article to discover how you could save £71,475 on your next mortgage if you sell your house and rent before buying againAs I said earlier, even I was amazed when I did the calculations! Learn about how you will reduce the stress of moving house, whilst at the same time potentially save thousands in the process!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article about are ex-council houses freehold or leasehold

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Also, if you have any questions, please feel free to comment below too. Please also share any of your experiences with properties you’ve bought. Alternatively, if you need more help, please feel free to contact us on our contact us page here. Or join the discussion and ask your question in the property forum.

Are Ex-Council Houses Freehold Or Leasehold?

Article written by Russell Bowyer who has been investing in property since purchasing his first commercial property in the 1990's for his own Chartered Accountancy business. But his first property investment project was to turn an old dilapidated restaurant into a large 5-bed home, which he purchased for £117,500 and sold for £450,000 (to see an "after" photo of the house before it was sold see here: About). Russell owns a number of investment properties, which includes houses, flats and HMO's. More recently he has turned his creative side to investing in property using lease options. His largest lease option deal to date was to acquire 12 properties worth over £2 million for just £12, which means he paid just £1 to acquire each property!

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