Stop! Your Lease Extension in Datchet Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Datchet 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 Datchet 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 Datchet lease extension


Main reasons to commence your Datchet lease extension today:

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

Datchet leases on residential deteriorating in value. if your lease has about ninety years left, you should start considering the need for a lease extension. Eighty years is a significant number: when the unexpired term of a lease drops below this level then you begin incurring an additional element called marriage value. Leasehold owners in Datchet will mostly qualify for a lease extension; however a solicitor will check your eligibility. In some situations you may not qualify. There are also strict deadlines and formalities to follow once the process is triggered so it’s best to be guided by a conveyancer during the process.

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

It is generally considered that a residential leasehold with in excess of one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth approximately the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to any lease with more than 30 years left, the property will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years in the future.

Lending institutions may not issue a mortgage with a short lease

Mortgage companies are tightening their criteria and many now require flats to have a minimum of 60 if not 70 years remaining at the expiry of the mortgage. Considering plenty of flats in Datchet were built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as a result many now require lease extensions if they if they are to be mortgageable.

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.
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.

Why use us for your lease extension in Datchet?

Retaining our service gives you increased control over the value of your Datchet leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in terms of lease length should you wish to sell. The lawyers that we work with have a in-depth market knowledge handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Datchet Lease Extension Case Studies:

Aimee, Datchet, Berkshire,

Off the back of lengthy discussions with the freeholder of her leasehold apartment in Datchet, Aimee initiated the lease extension process just as the lease was coming close to the crucial 80-year deadline. The lease extension was concluded in February 2013. The landlord’s fees were kept to an absolute minimum.

Datchet case:

Last Summer we were approach by Ms Madeleine Brown , who owned a basement apartment in Datchet in March 1995. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) price would likely be for a ninety year lease extension. Similar residencies in Datchet with an extended lease were in the region of £285,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £45 invoiced monthly. The lease terminated in 2097. Having 71 years remaining we estimated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £12,400 and £14,200 not including fees.

Datchet case:

Last Summer we were contacted by Mr I Cook , who was assigned a lease of a purpose-built apartment in Datchet in October 1999. The question was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium could be for a 90 year lease extension. Similar properties in Datchet with a long lease were in the region of £233,200. The average ground rent payable was £60 invoiced monthly. The lease lapsed on 20 June 2087. Taking into account 61 years outstanding we calculated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £22,800 and £26,400 not including expenses.