Cricklade Lease Extension - Free Consultation

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Main reasons to start your Cricklade lease extension


Why you should commence your Cricklade lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Cricklade property value

The market value of Cricklade leasehold residential property falls as the lease term becomes shorter and this will have an impact on its saleability. The expense of extending the lease can increase materialy once the unexpired lease term is less than 80 years

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

It is conventional wisdom that a property with over one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the same as a freehold. Where an further 90 years added to any lease with more than 30 years unexpired, the premises will be worth the same as a freehold for decades to come.

Lenders may not lend with a short lease

Almost all mortgage lenders insist on a lengthy amount of time left on a leasehold residence before they will contemplate providing a mortgage on it. Regardless of whether you need a mortgage, you should keep in mind that it is likely that someone wanting to purchase your property in the future might well do, so in the event that they can't get a mortgage, then the financial worth of your property will likely be adversely impacted. Since 2008 many mortgage lenders have increased the required minimum lease length that they are prepared to grant a mortgage on

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.
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Nationwide Building Society - Our minimum unexpired lease term is 55 years, except where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat, in which case our minimum unexpired term is 90 years.
- There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start).

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
- Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years.

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 55 years
- Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat
- 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 is 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 55 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% 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 (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat)
- 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 (does not apply to Shared Ownership)
- 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 charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis

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% 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 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 Cricklade?

Using our service will provide you enhanced control over the value of your Cricklade leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in respect of lease length should you decide to sell. The conveyancers that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Cricklade Lease Extension Example Cases:

Owen, Cricklade, Wiltshire,

Owen was the the leasehold proprietor of a studio apartment in Cricklade being sold with a lease of a little over sixty years left. Owen informally contacted his freeholder a well known local-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The freeholder was prepared to grant an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years subject to a new rent at the outset set at £100 per annum and increase every 25 years thereafter. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be payable on a lease extension were Owen to exercise his statutory right. Owen procured expert advice and secured satisfactory deal without going to tribunal and ending up with a market value flat.

Cricklade case:

Last Christmas we were e-mailed by Mr A Thompson , who owned a one bedroom flat in Cricklade in March 2004. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) premium would likely be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparative properties in Cricklade with a long lease were worth £237,600. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £45 collected monthly. The lease expired in 2092. Having 67 years as a residual term we estimated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £11,400 and £13,200 plus legals.

Cricklade case:

Last February we were e-mailed by Dr Nathaniel Alexander , who acquired a one bedroom apartment in Cricklade in May 2004. The dilemma was if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Similar homes in Cricklade with 100 year plus lease were worth £280,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £55 billed monthly. The lease ran out in 2103. Having 78 years outstanding we estimated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 plus costs.