Stop! Your Lease Extension in Appleby In Westmorland Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Appleby In Westmorland 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 Appleby In Westmorland 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.

Why you should commence your Appleby In Westmorland lease extension


Main reasons to start your Appleby In Westmorland lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Appleby In Westmorland property value

The basic rule is, all other things holding equal, the shorter the lease the more expensive the premium. Qualifying leaseholders in Appleby In Westmorland have the right to extend the lease for a further ninety years under statute. Please think carefully before delaying your Appleby In Westmorland lease extension. Shelving that expense today simply escalates the amount you will eventually have to pay to extend the lease.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

It is generally considered that a property with over one hundred years remaining is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to any lease with more than 30 years unexpired, 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

Banks and building societies do not like short residential leases. You are likely to encounter difficulties where you want to sell your flat in Appleby In Westmorland if the remaining term of your lease is under the criteria set by most mortgage companies. Different lenders have different requirements but generally theyrequire an unexpired term of at least 65 years.

Lender Requirement
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.
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start of the mortgage.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.

For Shared Ownership, the remaining term of the lease must be at least 75 years plus the term of the mortgage at the outset 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.

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.
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 Appleby In Westmorland lease extensions?

Engaging our service gives you enhanced control over the value of your Appleby In Westmorland leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in terms of lease length should you decide 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.

Appleby In Westmorland Lease Extension Case Studies:

Rachel, Appleby In Westmorland, Cumbria,

Following unsuccessful correspondence with the landlord of her first floor flat in Appleby In Westmorland, Rachel commenced the lease extension process just as her lease was approaching the critical 80-year mark. The transaction was finalised in February 2009. The freeholder’s fees were kept to an absolute minimum.

Appleby In Westmorland case:

Last Autumn we were called by Mrs Poppy Nguyen , who owned a studio flat in Appleby In Westmorland in January 1997. We are asked if we could approximate the price could be to extend the lease by ninety years. Comparable premises in Appleby In Westmorland with an extended lease were valued about £265,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £50 collected yearly. The lease concluded in 2100. Having 74 years unexpired we calculated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £9,500 and £11,000 not including costs.

Appleby In Westmorland case:

In 2013 we were called by Mr Benjamin Lefebvre who, having owned a recently refurbished flat in Appleby In Westmorland in October 2011. The question was if we could approximate the price would likely be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Similar flats in Appleby In Westmorland with a long lease were in the region of £166,400. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 invoiced every twelve months. The lease expiry date was on 25 July 2080. Having 54 years unexpired we estimated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £32,300 and £37,400 plus legals.