Stop! Your Lease Extension in Cottesmore Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Cottesmore 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 Cottesmore 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 commence your Cottesmore lease extension


Why you should start your Cottesmore lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Cottesmore property value

Cottesmore leases on residential properties are gradually losing value. Where your lease has in the region of ninety years remaining, you should start considering the need for a lease extension. Eighty years is a significant number: when the unexpired term of a lease falls below this level then you start incurring an additional element called marriage value. Leasehold owners in Cottesmore will usually be legally entitled to a lease extension; however It would be wise to check with a conveyancer to confirm if you qualify. In some situations you may not qualify. There are also strict deadlines and procedures to follow once the process is initiated so it’s prudent to be guided by a conveyancer during the process.

Cottesmore property with a lease extension has roughly the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with more than 100 years remaining is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to any lease with more than 30 years unexpired, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for many years ahead.

Lending institutions may not grant a mortgage on a short lease

Many mortgage lenders insist on a lengthy amount of time left on a leasehold property before they will consider lending on it. Regardless of whether you require a mortgage, you should be mindful that it is probable that someone wanting to acquire your property in the future might well do, so if they are unable to secure a mortgage, then the market price of your property could suffer. Since 2008 most banks and building societies have increased the required minimum lease length that they are prepared to grant a mortgage on

Lender Requirement
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start of the mortgage.
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date 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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.

Why use us for your lease extension in Cottesmore?

Engaging our service will provide you enhanced control over the value of your Cottesmore leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in respect of lease length should you decide to sell. The lawyers that we work with have a in-depth market knowledge handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Cottesmore Lease Extension Example Cases:

William, Cottesmore, Rutland,

William owned a conversion apartment in Cottesmore being marketed with a lease of just over sixty years remaining. William on an informal basis contacted his landlord being a well known local-based freehold company for a lease extension. The landlord was prepared to give an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years subject to a new rent to start with set at £200 per annum and doubled every 25 years thereafter. No ground rent would be due on a lease extension were William to invoke his statutory right. William obtained expert advice and was able to make a more informed decision and handle with the matter and sell the flat.

Cottesmore case:

Mr I Taylor purchased a garden apartment in Cottesmore in August 2011. The dilemma was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium would likely be to prolong the lease by 90 years. Comparable properties in Cottesmore with a long lease were valued around £233,200. The average ground rent payable was £60 collected annually. The lease concluded on 20 June 2087. Given that there were 61 years remaining we approximated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £22,800 and £26,400 plus expenses.

Cottesmore case:

Last year we were phoned by Mr and Mrs. M Ricardo , who took over the lease of a basement flat in Cottesmore in November 2006. The dilemma was if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord would likely be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Similar properties in Cottesmore with an extended lease were in the region of £171,800. The mid-range ground rent payable was £55 invoiced yearly. The lease ran out on 26 March 2076. Given that there were 50 years left we calculated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £33,300 and £38,400 exclusive of costs.