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Top reasons for Coleford lease extension


Why you should start your Coleford lease extension today:

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

With a long leasehold property in Coleford, you are in fact renting it for a certain period of time. Modern flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a long period of time, you should consider extending the lease sooner as opposed to later. The general rule is that the shorter the lease is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly especially once there are fewer than eighty years left. Anyone in Coleford with a lease drawing near to 81 years remaining should seriously consider extending it without delay. When the lease term has under 80 years left, under the relevant statute the freeholder can calculate and levy a larger premium, assessed on a technical multiplication, known as “marriage value” which is payable.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold premises in Coleford with in excess of 100 years remaining 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 home. In such situations there is often little to be gained by purchasing the freehold unless savings on ground rent and estate charges warrant it.

Mortgage lenders may not lend with a short lease

Mortgage companies are really clamping down as regards to homes in Coleford with short leases. For instance you might discover that their lending requirements are stricter and that they adjust interest rates depending on the unexpired lease term. Some may even refrain from lending completely, so if you needed to sell, your only options would be to find a cash buyer, or try your luck at auction thus restricting your market.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Birmingham Midshires Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Godiva Mortgages A minimum of 70 years unexpired lease at completion for all scheme types apart from Lifetime Mortgages (Equity Release), which require a minimum unexpired term of 80 years at completion.
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start of the mortgage.
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 Coleford lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Lease extensions in Coleford can be a difficult process. We recommend you secure guidance from a conveyancer and surveyor well versed in the legislation and lease extension process.

We provide you with an expert from a selection of lease extension solicitors, which ensures a targeted and efficient service as you have a dedicated port of call with an individual lawyer. Our lease extension solicitors have in-depth market knowledge dealing with Coleford lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Coleford Lease Extension Example Cases:

Ethan, Coleford, Gloucestershire,

Ethan owned a studio apartment in Coleford being sold with a lease of a few days over 72 years remaining. Ethan on an informal basis contacted his freeholder being a well known local-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The freeholder indicated a willingness to extend the lease to 125 years on the basis of a new rent at the outset set at £150 per annum and doubled every twenty five years thereafter. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be payable on a lease extension were Ethan to invoke his statutory right. Ethan obtained expert legal guidance and secured satisfactory resolution without resorting to tribunal and ending up with a market value flat.

Coleford case:

Last Christmas we were e-mailed by Dr S Ali , who moved into a garden flat in Coleford in August 1997. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium would be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparable homes in Coleford with a long lease were valued around £216,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 invoiced monthly. The lease concluded on 3 January 2083. Considering the 58 years left we estimated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £28,500 and £33,000 not including fees.

Coleford case:

Mr and Mrs. H Morgan moved into a newly refurbished flat in Coleford in June 2006. We are asked if we could estimate the premium could be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Similar flats in Coleford with 100 year plus lease were worth £200,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £50 billed annually. The lease ended in 2103. Given that there were 78 years left we calculated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £8,600 and £9,800 exclusive of expenses.