Stop! Your Lease Extension in Choppington Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Choppington 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 Choppington 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 start your Choppington lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Choppington property value

The market value of a leasehold property in Choppington is impacted by how many years the lease has remaining. If it is close to or fewer than eighty years you should foresee difficulties on re-sale, so it is advisable to arrange for a lease extension before buying. Ideally one should start the process of extending the lease is when the lease still has 82 years remaining so that a lease extension can be concluded in advance of the 80 year mark. Leasehold Reform legislation enables Choppington qualifying lessees to a 90 year extension added to their residual lease term (ie if your lease has 50 years left the statutory lease extension will provide a new term of 140 years). The purpose of the valuation is to determine the premium payable by the lessee to the freeholder for the acquisition of the lease extension.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with in excess of 100 years unexpired lease term is worth approximately the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional ninety years added to any lease with more than 35 years left, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for many years ahead.

Lending institutions may decide not to lend on 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 under seventy years as they are deemed to be deficient for lending purposes.

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;
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.
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.
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.

Get in touch with one of our Choppington lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Engaging our service gives you increased control over the value of your Choppington leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in terms of lease length should you want to sell. The conveyancers that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Choppington Lease Extension Case Studies:

Jacob, Choppington, Northumberland,

Jacob was the the leasehold proprietor of a high value flat in Choppington being sold with a lease of fraction over 72 years outstanding. Jacob informally approached his freeholder being a well known Manchester-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 subject to an increased rent to £50 per annum. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be payable on a lease extension were Jacob to invoke his statutory right. Jacob obtained expert advice and was able to make a more informed decision and handle with the matter and sell the flat.

Choppington case:

In 2011 we were called by Mr A Brooks who, having owned a one bedroom flat in Choppington in July 2007. The question was if we could approximate the premium would likely be to extend the lease by a further 90 years. Comparative properties in Choppington with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £275,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £45 invoiced quarterly. The lease ended on 26 January 2095. Taking into account 69 years remaining we approximated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £12,400 and £14,200 not including professional charges.

Choppington case:

In 2010 we were phoned by Dr Leo Allen who, having took over the lease of a newly refurbished apartment in Choppington in July 2008. We are asked if we could estimate the premium would be to extend the lease by ninety years. Comparative residencies in Choppington with a long lease were valued about £216,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 collected yearly. The lease end date was in 2084. Taking into account 58 years outstanding we calculated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £28,500 and £33,000 plus legals.