Stop! Your Lease Extension in Coxhoe Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Coxhoe 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 Coxhoe 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.

Top reasons for Coxhoe lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Coxhoe property value

Coxhoe leases on residential properties are gradually diminishing in value. The shorter the remaining lease term becomes, the less it is worth – and as a result any extension of your lease becomes more expensive. Legislation has been in place for sometime now allowing qualifying Coxhoe residential leaseholders to extend the terms of long leases. If you are a leasehold owner in Coxhoe you should see if your lease has between seventy and ninety years remaining. There are good reasons why a Coxhoe leaseholder with a lease having around 80 years unexpired should take steps to make sure that a lease extension is actioned without delay

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

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with in excess of 100 years remaining is worth roughly the same as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to any lease with more than 30 years remaining, the property will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years ahead.

Banks and Building Societies will not grant a mortgage with a short lease

The definition of a short lease varies by mortgage company, yet mortgage lenders start to become jittery at around 75 years. This may be problematic as and when you wish to dispose of or refinance your flat as it will be effectively unmortgageable. Even though you may have no imminent intention to sell but when you do your purchaser will have to wait two years before being able to exercise the right to a an extension to the lease.

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.
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Birmingham Midshires 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 Coxhoe?

Regardless of whether you are a tenant or a freeholder in Coxhoe,the lease extension solicitors that we work with will always be happy to discuss any residential leasehold matters and offer you the benefit of their experience and the close ties they enjoy with Coxhoe valuers.

Coxhoe Lease Extension Example Cases:

Hugo, Coxhoe, County Durham

Half a year ago Hugo, started to get near to the 80-year threshold with the lease on his one bedroom flat in Coxhoe. Having purchased his flat two decades ago, the length of the lease was of no interest. Fortunately, it dawned on him that he would soon be paying an escalated premium for a lease extension. Hugo extended the lease just ahead of time last May. Hugo and the landlord who owned the flat above subsequently agreed on sum of £5,500 . If he failed to meet the deadline, the amount would have increased by at least £900.

Coxhoe case:

Last year we were e-mailed by Mrs Sian Laurent , who completed a garden apartment in Coxhoe in March 2003. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium would likely be for a 90 year lease extension. Similar residencies in Coxhoe with a long lease were valued around £235,200. The average amount of ground rent was £45 invoiced quarterly. The lease expired on 24 February 2092. Having 66 years as a residual term we calculated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £12,400 and £14,200 not including professional charges.

Coxhoe case:

Mr B Rose took over the lease of a basement apartment in Coxhoe in November 1999. The question was if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord would be to extend the lease by a further 90 years. Similar flats in Coxhoe with a long lease were in the region of £275,000. The average amount of ground rent was £55 billed quarterly. The lease terminated on 14 April 2103. Taking into account 77 years outstanding we calculated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 exclusive of expenses.