Stop! Your Lease Extension in Appleton Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Appleton are unaware that their original lawyer had a duty to warn them about future mortgageability and saleability issues. Before you pay thousands to your freeholder, let us audit your purchase history. You might have a claim that pays for your lease extension in full

If you are facing a significant premium because your lease in Appleton has dropped toward the 80-year mark, your previous lawyer may be at fault. Our panel of experts specialise in recovering lease extension costs from negligent firms who failed to protect your investment.

Top reasons for Appleton lease extension


Main reasons to commence your Appleton lease extension today:

A Appleton leasehold property depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

Unfortunately that a Appleton residential lease is a wasting asset. As the lease term diminishes so does the value of the property. The extent of this is taken for granted in the early years due to the depreciation being disguised by increases in the Appleton property prices.Once your lease nears 85ish years, you need to start thinking about a lease extension. If lease term falls under eighty years, you will then be required to pay half of the property's 'marriage value' in addition to the usual cost of the lease extension to the landlord. The marriage fee is the amount of extra value that a lease extension will add the property The majority of leasehold owners in Appleton will be able to extend under the legislation; however a conveyancing solicitor should be able to confirm whether you are eligibility. In some situations you may not qualify. There are also strict timeframes and procedures to follow once the process is initiated and you will need to be guided by your conveyancing solicitor from beginning to end of the process.

Appleton property with a lease extension is almost the same value as a freehold

It is generally accepted that a property with in excess of 100 years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further 90 years added to any lease with more than 45 years unexpired, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for decades to come.

Lending institutions may not grant a mortgage with a short lease

Mortgage companies are tightening their criteria and many now require flats to have a minimum of 60 if not 70 years remaining once the mortgage has expired. Given that many flats in Appleton were created in the fifties, sixties and seventies as a result many now require lease extensions if they wish to get a mortgage.

Lender Requirement
Chelsea Building Society 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage. Please ensure that you explain the implications of a short term lease to the borrower.
Godiva Mortgages A minimum of 70 years unexpired lease at completion for all scheme types apart from Lifetime Mortgages (Equity Release), which require a minimum unexpired term of 80 years at completion.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.

For Shared Ownership, the remaining term of the lease must be at least 75 years plus the term of the mortgage at the outset of the mortgage.
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.
The Mortgage Works Minimum unexpired lease term is 70 years with 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
Where the unexpired lease term is different to that recorded on the mortgage offer, the following clarifies if we need to be informed:

Second hand property:
- If the unexpired lease term on the offer is 85 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 85 years
- if the unexpired lease term on the offer is less than 85 years – advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported
- For equity share applications - advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer

New build property:
- If the unexpired lease term stated on the offer is 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house) or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house)
- For equity share applications - always advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer

Lease terms such as ground rent and event fees must be reasonable at all times during the term of the lease and adhere to our requirements below. If you’re unsure as to whether the terms of a lease are unreasonable or onerous, please refer the details to us in plain English for Valuer consideration. If the potentially onerous terms are in relation to the ground rent please include the current ground rent figure per annum, how often it will be reviewed and the price structure it will be reviewed against. See the guidance below.

SECOND HAND PROPERTIES

Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 70 years
- Less than 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term
- Ground Rent greater than 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent doubles less than every 20 years (e.g. doubles every 5, 10 or 15 years) - acceptable if doubles every 20 years or more
- Ground Rent is compounded RPI
- Ground Rent review period less than or equal to 5 years

Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Unexpired lease term is 70 to 85 years
- Ground Rent greater than 0.1% and less than or equal to 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to any indices greater than RPI
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building*
- Ground Rent review period is greater than 5 and less than 10 years
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1.0% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything that appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary

Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than 85 years
- Ground Rent less than or equal to 0.1% of the property value
- Ground Rent review period greater than or equal to 10 years
- Ground Rent escalation less than or equal to RPI

NEW BUILD PROPERTIES (includes office conversions)

Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 125 years on a new build flat or less than 250 years on a new build house
- Any lease which is subject to a ground rent (or annual rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
- Any lease which is subject to a ground rent (or annual rent) being reviewed and altered on any review basis or methodology

Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1.0% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything else appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary

Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than or equal to 125 years on a new build flat or greater than or equal to 250 years on a new build house
- A lease subject to a peppercorn ground rent (annual rent) charges

For the avoidance of doubt, any new build properties completed but not sold pre 30 June 2022 will only be acceptable if the lease conforms to the above guidance

* Where the Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building, please provide the following:
- How is the value of the block/unit currently calculated and if the assessment relates to the block(s), how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned per property?
- The current valuation and Ground Rent for each unit
- What is the mechanism for future valuations of the block and how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned?
- What is the right of appeal? And is this a documented process within the lease?
- Who bears the cost of the valuation (and appeal) process?
- Confirmation the review period is not less than twenty years

LEASE EXTENSIONS

We require all lease extensions to be completed under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and to meet the above criteria as a minimum. Where you become aware that it does not meet these requirements, please refer to the Issuing Office

Please ensure that all lender enquiries are submitted (with full documentation/requirements) at least 2 weeks prior to exchange to allow sufficient time for review and decisioning.

What makes us experts in Appleton lease extensions?

Retaining our service will provide you increased control over the value of your Appleton leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in relation to the lease length should you wish to sell. The lawyers that we work with have a in-depth market knowledge handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Appleton Lease Extension Case Studies:

Jacob, Appleton, Cheshire,

Jacob owned a conversion apartment in Appleton on the market with a lease of a little over 61 years remaining. Jacob informally spoke with his landlord being a well known Manchester-based freehold company for a lease extension. The freeholder indicated a willingness to grant an extension taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of an increased rent to £100 annually. No ground rent would be payable on a lease extension were Jacob to invoke his statutory right. Jacob obtained expert advice and was able to make a more informed judgement and handle with the matter and sell the property.

Appleton case:

In 2011 we were approached by Ms F Anderson who, having was assigned a lease of a studio flat in Appleton in November 2002. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Similar homes in Appleton with an extended lease were in the region of £166,800. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £50 billed monthly. The lease terminated on 28 May 2076. Given that there were 50 years left we estimated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £32,300 and £37,400 not including costs.

Appleton case:

Last Spring we were contacted by Dr Morgan Clarke , who took over the lease of a newly refurbished flat in Appleton in August 2011. The dilemma was if we could approximate the price would be to extend the lease by ninety years. Comparable residencies in Appleton with a long lease were in the region of £280,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £45 billed per annum. The lease elapsed in 2096. Taking into account 70 years outstanding we estimated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £12,400 and £14,200 not including fees.