Castle Bromwich Lease Extension - Free Consultation

Before you progress with your lease extension in Castle Bromwich
Get a quote from one of our lease extension experts with over 20 years experience.

Let them guide you for FREE on the various options available to you.

It may end up saving you thousands.

Why you should start your Castle Bromwich lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

A Castle Bromwich lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

With a long leasehold premises in Castle Bromwich, you are in fact renting it for a certain period of time. These days flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a long period of time, you may think about extending the lease sooner as opposed to later. Accepted thinking is that the shorter the number of years is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly particularly when there are fewer than eighty years remaining. Anyone in Castle Bromwich with a lease approaching 81 years left should seriously think of extending it as soon as possible. Once the lease term has less than eighty years remaining, under the relevant Act the landlord can calculate and levy a larger amount, assessed on a technical multiplication, strangely termed as “marriage value” which is payable.

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

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with over one hundred years remaining is worth approximately the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to all but the shortest lease, the premises will be worth the same as a freehold for many years in the future.

Mortgage lenders will not issue a mortgage on a short lease

Lending institutions are less likely to issue a mortgage on a residential property in Castle Bromwich with a short lease. Many lenders simply refuse a mortgage on leases with below 75 years left.

Lender Requirement
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.
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start of the mortgage.
Skipton Building Society 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage

For Buy to Let cases:
- lettings must not breach any of the lessee’s covenants; and
- consent of the lessor to lettings must be obtained if necessary
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.
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.

What makes us experts in Castle Bromwich lease extensions?

Engaging our service will provide you enhanced control over the value of your Castle Bromwich leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in terms of lease length should you wish to sell. The lawyers that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Castle Bromwich Lease Extension Example Cases:

Joseph, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham,

Joseph owned a studio apartment in Castle Bromwich on the market with a lease of a little over 59 years unexpired. Joseph on an informal basis contacted his landlord being a well known local-based freehold company for a lease extension. The freeholder indicated a willingness to extend the lease to 125 years subject to a rise in the rent to £125 per annum. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be due on a lease extension were Joseph to invoke his statutory right. Joseph procured expert advice and was able to make a more informed decision and deal with the matter and ending up with a market value flat.

Castle Bromwich case:

Dr K Hernández was assigned a lease of a recently refurbished apartment in Castle Bromwich in June 2008. We are asked if we could approximate the price would be for a ninety year lease extension. Comparative residencies in Castle Bromwich with a long lease were worth £280,000. The average amount of ground rent was £45 collected quarterly. The lease termination date was on 26 August 2095. Having 70 years outstanding we calculated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £12,400 and £14,200 exclusive of legals.

Castle Bromwich case:

Mr and Mrs. I Simon was assigned a lease of a one bedroom flat in Castle Bromwich in April 1996. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium would likely be to prolong the lease by an additional years. Identical residencies in Castle Bromwich with 100 year plus lease were worth £223,400. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 billed quarterly. The lease lapsed on 25 June 2084. Having 59 years remaining we approximated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £27,600 and £31,800 plus fees.