Stop! Your Lease Extension in Paignton Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Paignton 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 Paignton 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 commence your Paignton lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

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

The market value of a leasehold property in Paignton is impacted by how long the lease has remaining. If it is close to or less than eighty years you should foresee difficulties on re-sale, so it is recommended to arrange for the lease to be extended ahead of purchasing. It is preferable to start the process of extending the lease is when the lease still has 82 years to run so that all matters can be finalised prior to the 80 year cut off point. Statute entitles Paignton qualifying lessees to an additional term of ninety years in addition to the existing term, at a peppercorn rent (no ground rent). The intention of the valuation is to arrive at an opinion of the amount payable by the lessee to the freeholder for the purchase of the lease extension.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

Leasehold premises in Paignton with more than one hundred years left on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your property. In such situations there is often little to be gained by buying the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges merit it.

Banks and Building Societies will not grant a mortgage with a short lease

The propensity since the credit crunch has been for mortgage companies to tighten lending requirements generally - this has extended to the types of security over which the home loan is to be charged. This has meant the minimum number of years remaining under the lease required by mortgage companies has increased. Historically banks would grant a mortgage on a lease 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 standard.

Lender Requirement
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.
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.
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.
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.
Yorkshire 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.

What makes us experts in Paignton lease extensions?

Using our service will provide you increased control over the value of your Paignton leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in respect of lease length should you decide to sell. The conveyancers that we work with have a wealth of experience of handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Paignton Lease Extension Example Cases:

Ashleigh, Paignton, Devon,

In the wake of eight months of lengthy discussions with the freeholder of her two bedroom apartment in Paignton, Ashleigh commenced the lease extension process as the 80 year deadline was rapidly coming. The lease extension was concluded in June 2011. The landlord’s fees were kept to an absolute minimum.

Paignton case:

In 2009 we were contacted by Dr Dylan González who, having bought a garden apartment in Paignton in August 2000. The dilemma was if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord would be to prolong the lease by ninety years. Similar properties in Paignton with an extended lease were in the region of £290,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £45 collected quarterly. The lease terminated in 2099. Given that there were 73 years unexpired we estimated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £8,600 and £9,800 not including expenses.

Paignton case:

Last Christmas we were phoned by Mr and Mrs. D Fournier , who acquired a ground floor apartment in Paignton in April 2011. The dilemma was if we could approximate the price would be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Comparable homes in Paignton with an extended lease were in the region of £240,600. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 collected per annum. The lease finished on 9 August 2088. Considering the 62 years left we calculated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £21,900 and £25,200 exclusive of costs.