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Top reasons for Bedminster lease extension


Main reasons to commence your Bedminster lease extension today:

A Bedminster lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

When it comes to long leasehold premises in Bedminster, you are actually buying an entitlement to reside in a property for a set period of time. In recent years flat leases are usually granted for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a long period of time, you may think about extending the lease sooner rather than later. Accepted thinking is that the shorter the number of years is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly notably once there are less than eighty years left. Leasehold owners in Bedminster with a lease nearing 81 years remaining should seriously think of extending it sooner rather than later. Once the lease term has below 80 years remaining, under the relevant legislation the landlord can calculate and demand a larger amount, based on a technical computation, strangely termed as “marriage value” which is payable.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

Leasehold residencies in Bedminster with over 100 years remaining on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your home. In such situations there is often little upside in purchasing the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and estate charges warrant it.

Lenders may not grant a mortgage with a short lease

Mortgage companies are tightening their criteria and many now want flats to have at least 60 if not 70 years left once the mortgage has expired. Given that plenty of flats in Bedminster were created in the fifties, sixties and seventies as a result many now require lease extensions if they wish to obtain a mortgage.

Lender Requirement
Birmingham Midshires Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Coventry Building Society 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.
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.

Get in touch with one of our Bedminster lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Retaining our service will provide you better control over the value of your Bedminster leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in respect of lease length should you wish to sell. The conveyancing solicitors that we work with have a wealth of experience of handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Bedminster Lease Extension Example Cases:

Shannon, Bedminster, Bristol,

Subsequent to unsuccessful discussions with the freeholder of her purpose-built flat in Bedminster, Shannon commenced the lease extension process as the 80 year mark was swiftly approaching. The legal work was finalised in June 2011. The freeholder’s fees were negotiated to a tad over 650 GBP.

Bedminster case:

Mr and Mrs. B Lewis completed a one bedroom apartment in Bedminster in April 2004. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would likely be for a ninety year lease extension. Comparative residencies in Bedminster with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £240,600. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 invoiced per annum. The lease came to a finish in 2086. Given that there were 62 years outstanding we estimated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £21,900 and £25,200 not including professional charges.

Bedminster case:

In 2013 we were e-mailed by Mrs Morgan Ramírez who, having moved into a studio apartment in Bedminster in March 2003. The dilemma was if we could approximate the premium would be for a ninety year lease extension. Comparable homes in Bedminster with an extended lease were valued around £174,200. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £55 billed annually. The lease expired in 2075. Taking into account 51 years left we approximated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £31,400 and £36,200 exclusive of expenses.