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Top reasons for Huntingdon lease extension


Why you should commence your Huntingdon lease extension today:

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

As the length of the unexpired term of a Huntingdon domestic lease diminished so does its value and therefore the value of your property. Where the residual term has, over 100 years to run then this decrease may be fractional however there will become a point in time when a lease has less than 80 years unexpired as part of the premium you will incur is what is termed as a marriage value. This could increase sharply the cost. It is the main rational as to why you should extend the lease without delay. Many flat owners in Huntingdon will meet the qualifying criteria; however a lawyer will be able to confirm whether you qualify to extend your lease. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most frequent reason being that you have owned the property for under two years.

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

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with in excess of 100 years unexpired lease term 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 ahead.

Banks and Building Societies may not issue a mortgage on a short lease

Lenders are tightening their criteria and a meaningful number now want flats to have a minimum of sixty if not seventy years left at the expiry of the mortgage. Considering plenty of flats in Huntingdon were created in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as a result many now need to be extended if they if they are to be mortgageable.

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.
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.
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start 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.
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 Huntingdon lease extensions?

Lease extensions in Huntingdon can be a difficult process. We recommend you procure guidance from a lawyer and valuer 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 Huntingdon lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Huntingdon Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Melissa, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire,

Following unsuccessful discussions with the landlord of her studio flat in Huntingdon, Melissa initiated the lease extension process as the eighty year mark was fast coming. The transaction was concluded in November 2008. The freeholder’s fees were restricted to about four hundred pounds.

Huntingdon case:

Last June we were e-mailed by Mr and Mrs. G Reed , who purchased a recently refurbished flat in Huntingdon in October 2004. The question was if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would be to extend the lease by 90 years. Comparable residencies in Huntingdon with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £280,000. The average ground rent payable was £45 invoiced every twelve months. The lease expiry date was on 25 October 2094. Considering the 70 years outstanding we calculated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £12,400 and £14,200 exclusive of costs.

Huntingdon case:

Mr and Mrs. F Rose took over the lease of a first floor flat in Huntingdon in May 2005. The question was if we could estimate the price would be for a ninety year lease extension. Identical premises in Huntingdon with an extended lease were worth £218,400. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 invoiced annually. The lease terminated on 7 January 2083. Taking into account 59 years outstanding we calculated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £27,600 and £31,800 not including professional charges.