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Top reasons for Kingsbridge lease extension


Why you should commence your Kingsbridge lease extension today:

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

There is no doubt about it a leasehold flat or house in Kingsbridge is a wasting asset as a result of the diminishing lease term. If the lease has, beyond 99 years remaining then this decrease may be fractional however there will become a stage when a lease has fewer than 80 years unexpired as part of the premium you will incur is what is termed as a marriage value. This could increase markedly the cost. It is the primary logic behind why you should extend the lease sooner rather than later. Most flat owners in Kingsbridge will meet the qualifying criteria; however a conveyancing solicitor should be able to confirm if you are eligible to extend your lease. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most common reason being that you have not been the owner of the property for two years.

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

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with more than 100 years remaining is worth approximately the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to any lease with more than 45 years remaining, the residence will be worth the same as a freehold for many years in the future.

Lending institutions may not grant a mortgage with a short lease

Many banks and building societies will be unwilling to lend on a lease with less than seventy years left to run - although this varies from lender to lender. A buyer will likely encounter difficulties in obtaining a mortgage and this could result in your Kingsbridge property becoming difficult to sell or to obtain finance on.

Lender Requirement
Birmingham Midshires Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Chelsea Building Society 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage. Please ensure that you explain the implications of a short term lease to the borrower.
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.
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
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.

What makes us experts in Kingsbridge lease extensions?

Retaining our service will provide you enhanced control over the value of your Kingsbridge leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in respect of lease length should you want to sell. The conveyancing solicitors that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Kingsbridge Lease Extension Case Studies:

Daisy, Kingsbridge, Devon,

Trailing protracted negotiations with the landlord of her purpose-built flat in Kingsbridge, Daisy started the lease extension process as the eighty year mark was quickly approaching. The legal work was concluded in November 2008. The landlord’s costs were restricted to less than five hundred GBP.

Kingsbridge case:

In 2013 we were e-mailed by Mrs L Campbell who, having acquired a garden apartment in Kingsbridge in May 1999. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) premium would likely be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparable properties in Kingsbridge with an extended lease were valued about £218,400. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 invoiced yearly. The lease lapsed in 2083. Having 59 years unexpired we estimated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £27,600 and £31,800 plus costs.

Kingsbridge case:

Mr and Mrs. H Allen acquired a one bedroom apartment in Kingsbridge in October 2004. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) price would likely be to extend the lease by an additional years. Similar homes in Kingsbridge with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £205,000. The average ground rent payable was £50 invoiced every twelve months. The lease finished on 4 June 2103. Having 79 years outstanding we approximated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £7,600 and £8,800 not including legals.