Stop! Your Lease Extension in Bilston and Bradley Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Bilston and Bradley 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 Bilston and Bradley 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 Bilston and Bradley lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Bilston and Bradley property value

As the the remaining lease term of a Bilston and Bradley domestic lease lessens so does its value and therefore the value of your property. Where the residual term has, in excess of 99 years remaining then this decrease may be negligible however there will become a point in time when a lease has fewer than eighty years left as part of the premium you will incur is what is known as a marriage value. This could be significant. It is the primary logic behind why you should extend the lease without delay. The majority of flat owners in Bilston and Bradley will qualify for this right; nevertheless a conveyancing solicitor can advise whether you are eligible to extend your lease. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most frequent reason being that you have owned the property for less than two years.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

Leasehold premises in Bilston and Bradley with more than one hundred years outstanding on the lease are often regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your home. In such circumstances there is often little to be gained by purchasing the freehold unless savings on ground rent and estate charges justify it.

Lenders may not finance a property on a short lease

The trend since the credit crunch has been for mortgage companies to tighten lending criteria across the board - this has extended to the types of security over which the mortgage is to be charged. This has meant the minimum number of years remaining under the lease required by lenders has increased. In the past banks were content with 25 years plus the term of the loan - routinely 50 year leases but those requirements have been chipped away by the requirement for longer and longer leases - many use a minimum term of 75 years as standard.

Lender Requirement
Accord Mortgages 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.
Birmingham Midshires Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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
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.

Get in touch with one of our Bilston and Bradley lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Using our service will provide you increased control over the value of your Bilston and Bradley 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.

Bilston and Bradley Lease Extension Case Studies:

Katie, Bilston and Bradley, Birmingham,

In the wake of 9 months of unsuccessful discussions with the landlord of her two bedroom apartment in Bilston and Bradley, Katie commenced the lease extension process as the 80 year threshold was fast approaching. The transaction was concluded in March 2009. The landlord’s charges were kept to an absolute minimum.

Bilston and Bradley case:

In 2013 we were e-mailed by Mr A André who, having acquired a purpose-built flat in Bilston and Bradley in September 2004. We are asked if we could estimate the premium could be to prolong the lease by 90 years. Identical premises in Bilston and Bradley with an extended lease were valued around £240,600. The average ground rent payable was £65 invoiced yearly. The lease came to a finish on 12 September 2088. Taking into account 62 years left we calculated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £21,900 and £25,200 not including fees.

Bilston and Bradley case:

Mr and Mrs. E Parker bought a basement apartment in Bilston and Bradley in April 2003. The question was if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) price would likely be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Identical residencies in Bilston and Bradley with 100 year plus lease were valued about £179,200. The mid-range ground rent payable was £55 collected per annum. The lease finished on 28 January 2077. Considering the 51 years remaining we calculated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £31,400 and £36,200 plus professional charges.