Stop! Your Lease Extension in East Preston Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in East Preston 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 East Preston 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 East Preston lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

A East Preston lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

East Preston leases on residential deteriorating in value. if your lease has approximately 90 years remaining, you should start considering the need for a lease extension. It is important to recognise that it is that it is financially advisable for the lease extension to take place before the term of the current lease drops below eighty years - otherwise a higher amount will be payable. Flat owners in East Preston will usually qualify for a lease extension; however a solicitor should be able check your eligibility. In some situations you may not qualify. There are also strict deadlines and formalities to follow once the process has started so it’s wise to be guided by a conveyancer during the process.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with in excess of one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to all but the shortest lease, the premises will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years in the future.

Banks and Building Societies will not lend with a short lease

Almost all banks and building societies 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 require a mortgage, you should bear in mind that it is probable that someone wanting to purchase your property in the future might well do, so where they can't secure a mortgage, then the value of your property could suffer. Since 2008 most mortgage lenders have increased the required minimum lease length that they are willing to grant a mortgage on

Lender Requirement
Coventry Building Society 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.
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.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.

For Shared Ownership, the remaining term of the lease must be at least 30 years plus the term of the mortgage at the outset 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.
Yorkshire Building Society 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.

What makes us experts in East Preston lease extensions?

Irrespective of whether you are a tenant or a freeholder in East Preston,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 East Preston valuers.

East Preston Lease Extension Example Cases:

Georgina, East Preston, West Sussex,

Off the back of unsuccessful discussions with the landlord of her purpose-built flat in East Preston, Georgina commenced the lease extension process as the eighty year threshold was fast nearing. The lease extension completed in August 2011. The landlord’s fees were negotiated to less than 600 pounds.

East Preston case:

Dr Kyle Young moved into a one bedroom flat in East Preston in June 2004. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord could be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Identical properties in East Preston with a long lease were worth £200,800. The average amount of ground rent was £65 invoiced annually. The lease expired on 3 March 2086. Taking into account 60 years remaining we estimated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £20,900 and £24,200 exclusive of legals.

East Preston case:

In 2010 we were approached by Mr and Mrs. W Rivera who, having bought a purpose-built flat in East Preston in September 2003. We are asked if we could estimate the premium would be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparable flats in East Preston with 100 year plus lease were worth £255,000. The average ground rent payable was £50 billed quarterly. The lease ran out on 15 April 2097. Taking into account 71 years remaining we calculated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £9,500 and £11,000 exclusive of professional charges.