Stop! Your Lease Extension in Harold Wood Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Harold Wood 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 Harold Wood 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.

Main reasons to start your Harold Wood lease extension


Main reasons to commence your Harold Wood lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Harold Wood property value

The market value of Harold Wood leasehold residential property falls as the lease term becomes shorter and this will have an impact on its saleability. The cost of a lease extension can escalate substantially once the remaining term is less than 80 years

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

Leasehold residencies in Harold Wood with in excess of 100 years remaining on the lease are sometimes referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your premises. In such situations there is often little upside in buying the freehold unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges merit it.

Lending institutions will not lend on a short lease

Most banks have tightened lending criteria in the last ten years and borrowers are finding it increasingly difficult to raise funding or re-mortgage against flats with shorter lease terms, particularly under seventy years as they are considered to be inadequate security.

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;
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Santander You must report the unexpired lease term to us and await our instructions if:
1. the unexpired term assumed by our valuer is between 55 and 82 years, but the actual unexpired term differs by more than one year (whether longer or shorter); or
2. the unexpired term assumed by our valuer is more than 82 years but the actual unexpired term is less than 82 years; or
3. no valuation report is provided
However, we will not accept a lease where on expiry of the mortgage:
(i) less than 50 years remain and all or part of the loan is repaid on an interest-only basis: or
(ii) less than 30 years remain and the loan is repaid on a capital and interest basis

We will accept a lease that has been extended under the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Act 1993 provided statutory compensation would be available to the leaseholder.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.
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 Harold Wood lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Using our service will provide you increased control over the value of your Harold Wood leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in relation to the lease length should you wish to sell. The conveyancers that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Harold Wood Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Eli, Harold Wood, Essex

In recent months Eli, started to get near to the eighty-year mark with the lease on his two bedroom apartment in Harold Wood. Having bought his property two decades ago, the unexpired term was of no relevance. Thankfully, he noticed he needed to take steps soon on Extending the lease. Eli arranged for a lease extension just ahead of time last May. Eli and the landlord in the end settled on a premium of £5,500 . If he failed to meet the deadline, the price would have become more exhorbitant by a minimum £1,100.

Harold Wood case:

Mr and Mrs. S Brown owned a basement flat in Harold Wood in April 1997. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) premium would be to prolong the lease by 90 years. Comparable flats in Harold Wood with a long lease were in the region of £173,800. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £65 billed per annum. The lease expired on 27 October 2081. Taking into account 55 years outstanding we calculated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £31,400 and £36,200 exclusive of expenses.

Decision in Havering

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Harold Wood flat is 37 Lodge Court High Street in November 2013. the decision of the LVT was that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £25,559 This case affected 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 57.5 years.