As the the remaining lease term of a Chelsea domestic lease lessens so does its value and therefore the value of your property. Where the residual term has, in excess of one hundred years to run then this decrease may be of little impact that being said there will become a point in time 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 be significant. It is the primary logic behind why you should consider extending sooner rather than later. The majority of flat owners in Chelsea will qualify for this right; however a lawyer should be able to confirm whether you are eligible for a lease extension. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most common reason being that you have owned the property for under two years.
Leasehold properties in Chelsea with over one hundred years left on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your property. In such circumstances there is often little upside in buying the freehold unless savings on ground rent and service charges justify it.
| Lender | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Barclays plc | Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage are not acceptable. 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; |
| Barnsley Building Society | 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Royal Bank of Scotland | Mortgage term plus 30 years. |
Engaging our service will provide you enhanced control over the value of your Chelsea leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in relation to the 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.
Dylan was the the leasehold proprietor of a 2 bedroom apartment in Chelsea on the market with a lease of just over sixty years unexpired. Dylan on an informal basis approached his freeholder being a well known London-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The freeholder was prepared to agree an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a new rent at the outset set at £150 per annum and increase every 25 years thereafter. No ground rent would be payable on a lease extension were Dylan to invoke his statutory right. Dylan procured expert advice and secured satisfactory resolution without resorting to tribunal and readily saleable.
Mr Thomas Davies acquired a one bedroom apartment in Chelsea in May 2006. We are asked if we could estimate the premium would be to extend the lease by 90 years. Comparative flats in Chelsea with 100 year plus lease were valued around £254,200. The average ground rent payable was £60 billed per annum. The lease finished on 3 March 2077. Having 51 years left we calculated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £43,700 and £50,600 plus costs.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Chelsea residence is 150A Albert Palace Mansions Lurline Gardens in July 2013. The Tribunal determined that the premium payable for the new lease of the subject property was £42,069 This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired term was 57.06 years.