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Main reasons to start your Easton lease extension


Main reasons to start your Easton lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Easton property value

There is no doubt about it a leasehold property in Easton is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. If the residual term has, beyond 99 years to run then this decrease may be fractional however there will become a point in time when a lease has under than 80 years unexpired as part of the premium you will incur is what is known as a marriage value. This could be significant. It is the primary logic behind why you should consider extending sooner rather than later. Many flat owners in Easton will qualify for this right; however a lawyer can confirm whether you are eligible to extend your lease. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most frequent reason being that you have not been the owner of the property for two years.

Easton property with a lease extension has roughly the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with more than one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional ninety years added to all but the shortest lease, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for decades to come.

Mortgage lenders may not grant a mortgage with a short lease

The trend since the credit crunch has been for mortgage companies to tighten lending criteria across the board - this has extended to the types of security over which the home loan is to be charged. This has resulted in the unexpired lease term required by mortgage companies has increased. Historically banks were content with twenty years plus the term of the loan - routinely 50 year leases but those requirements evolved by the requirement for longer and longer leases - many now have a minimum term of 75 years as a prerequisite.

Lender Requirement
Barclays plc Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage should be declined (see exception below).

Leases with greater than 70 years but fewer than 85 years remaining must be referred to issuing office.

Leases with fewer than 70 years should only be referred to the issuing office where the following scenario applies, as discretion may be applied subject to bank approval:

• Property is located in any of the following prestigious developments: Cadogan, Crown, Grosvenor, Howard de Walden, Portman or Wellcome Trust Estates in Central London AND
• The value of the property subject to the short remaining term is £500,000 or more AND
• The loan to value does not exceed 90% for purchases, 90% like for like re-mortgages, 80% for re-mortgages with any element of capital raising and 80% for existing Barclays mortgage borrowers applying for additional borrowing;
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.
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Nationwide Building Society - Our minimum unexpired lease term is 55 years, except where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat, in which case our minimum unexpired term is 90 years.
- There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start).

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
- Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years.

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 55 years
- Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat
- 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 is 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 55 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% 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 (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat)
- 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 (does not apply to Shared Ownership)
- 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 charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis

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% 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 Issuing Office.

Why use us for your lease extension in Easton?

Lease extensions in Easton can be a difficult process. We recommend you get guidance from a conveyancing solicitor and surveyor well versed in the legislation and lease extension process.

We provide you with an expert from a selection of lease extension solicitors, which ensures a targeted and efficient service as you have a dedicated port of call with an individual lawyer. Our lease extension solicitors have in-depth market knowledge procuring Easton lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Easton Lease Extension Case Studies:

Ali, Easton, Bristol,

Ali was the the leasehold proprietor of a conversion apartment in Easton being sold with a lease of a few days over fifty eight years outstanding. Ali on an informal basis spoke with his freeholder a well known London-based freehold company for a lease extension. The landlord was prepared to grant an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of an increased rent to £200 annually. No ground rent would be payable on a lease extension were Ali to exercise his statutory right. Ali obtained expert advice and was able to make a more informed judgement and handle with the matter and readily saleable.

Easton case:

Last Christmas we were approach by Ms J Morel , who was assigned a lease of a first floor apartment in Easton in August 2008. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparative flats in Easton with a long lease were valued about £275,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £55 collected yearly. The lease ran out in 2100. Taking into account 76 years as a residual term we calculated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.

Easton case:

Mr and Mrs. N King acquired a first floor flat in Easton in January 2000. We are asked if we could estimate the premium would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparative homes in Easton with an extended lease were worth £176,200. The mid-range ground rent payable was £65 billed quarterly. The lease ran out in 2080. Taking into account 56 years left we approximated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £29,500 and £34,000 exclusive of fees.