Blandfordum Lease Extension - Free Consultation

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Main reasons to commence your Blandfordum lease extension


Why you should start your Blandfordum lease extension today:

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

When it comes to long leasehold property in Blandfordum, you effectively rent it for a certain amount of time. In recent years flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Many leasehold owners become complacent as this seems like a long period of time, you may consider extending the lease sooner rather than later. The general rule is that the shorter the number of years is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly particularly once there are fewer than eighty years remaining. Leasehold owners in Blandfordum with a lease approaching 81 years unexpired should seriously consider extending it without delay. Once the lease term has under eighty years outstanding, under the current legislation the freeholder is entitled to calculate and demand a larger premium, based on a technical multiplication, known as “marriage value” which is payable.

Blandfordum property with a lease extension is almost the same value as a freehold

It is generally considered that a residential leasehold with more than one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to any lease with more than 45 years remaining, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for decades to come.

Lending institutions may decide not to grant a mortgage with a short lease

Most mortgage lenders have narrowed their lending criteria in recent years and borrowers are finding it increasingly difficult to raise finance or re-mortgage against flats with shorter lease terms, particularly below 75 years as they are deemed to be unacceptable security.

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.
Barclays plc Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage should be declined (see exception below).

Leases with greater than 70 years but fewer than 85 years remaining must be referred to issuing office.

Leases with fewer than 70 years should only be referred to the issuing office where the following scenario applies, as discretion may be applied subject to bank approval:

• Property is located in any of the following prestigious developments: Cadogan, Crown, Grosvenor, Howard de Walden, Portman or Wellcome Trust Estates in Central London AND
• The value of the property subject to the short remaining term is £500,000 or more AND
• The loan to value does not exceed 90% for purchases, 90% like for like re-mortgages, 80% for re-mortgages with any element of capital raising and 80% for existing Barclays mortgage borrowers applying for additional borrowing;
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.
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.
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 Blandfordum lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Irrespective of whether you are a tenant or a landlord in Blandfordum,the lease extension experts that we work with will always be willing to discuss any residential leasehold matters and offer you the benefit of their experience and the close ties they enjoy with Blandfordum valuers.

Blandfordum Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Alex, Blandfordum, Dorset

Last year Alex, started to get close to the 80-year mark with the lease on his basement apartment in Blandfordum. In buying his property twenty years previously, the unexpired term was of no relevance. Luckily, it dawned on him that he needed to take action soon on a lease extension. Alex was able to extend his lease just in the nick of time last January. Alex and the landlord who owned the flat above subsequently agreed on sum of £5,000 . If he not met the deadline, the figure would have become more exhorbitant by at least £1,125.

Blandfordum case:

In 2010 we were e-mailed by Dr Jack Lambert who, having purchased a studio apartment in Blandfordum in March 2010. We are asked if we could approximate the price could be for a 90 year lease extension. Comparable homes in Blandfordum with a long lease were valued about £254,200. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 collected every twelve months. The lease elapsed on 28 May 2076. Considering the 51 years left we approximated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £43,700 and £50,600 plus professional charges.

Blandfordum case:

Last Summer we were approach by Mr and Mrs. P Lefebvre , who owned a basement apartment in Blandfordum in May 2008. The question was if we could approximate the price would likely be to extend the lease by 90 years. Comparable homes in Blandfordum with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £215,600. The average ground rent payable was £45 collected quarterly. The lease lapsed on 6 March 2087. Considering the 62 years as a residual term we calculated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £18,100 and £20,800 exclusive of professional charges.