Stop! Your Lease Extension in Eccles Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Eccles 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 Eccles 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.

Why you should start your Eccles lease extension


Why you should commence your Eccles lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Eccles property value

The re-sale value of a leasehold property in Eccles depends on how many years the lease has remaining. If it is near to or fewer than 80 years you should anticipate problems on re-sale, so it is advisable to arrange for a lease extension before buying. It is ideal to start the lease extension process when a lease still has 82 years to run so that all matters can be addressed prior to the eighty year mark. Current legislation entitles Eccles qualifying lessees to an additional term of ninety years in addition to the remaining term, at a nominal rent (zero ground rent). The intention of the valuation is to arrive at an opinion of the premium payable by the lessee to the freeholder for the acquisition of the lease extension.

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

It is conventional wisdom that a property with more than one hundred years remaining is worth approximately the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further 90 years added to all but the shortest lease, the property will be equivalent in value to a freehold for decades to come.

Lending institutions may not grant a mortgage on a short lease

Most banks have tightened lending criteria in recent years and borrowers are encountering difficulties in arranging funding or re-mortgage against flats with shorter lease terms, particularly below 75 years as they are deemed to be deficient for lending purposes.

Lender Requirement
Birmingham Midshires Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start of the mortgage.
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.
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.

Get in touch with one of our Eccles lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

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

Eccles Lease Extension Case Studies:

Arthur, Eccles, Greater Manchester

Half a year ago Arthur, came precariously near to the eighty-year mark with the lease on his purpose- built flat in Eccles. In buying his flat twenty years previously, the length of the lease was of minimal relevance. As luck would have it, it dawned on him that he needed to take steps soon on Extending the lease. Arthur extended the lease at the eleventh hour in March. Arthur and the landlord who owned the flat above subsequently settled on the final figure of £5,500 . If the lease had slipped to less than eighty years, the premium would have escalated by at least £1,125.

Eccles case:

Last month we were e-mailed by Mr and Mrs. T Hill , who owned a basement flat in Eccles in May 2007. The dilemma was if we could approximate the premium would likely be to prolong the lease by ninety years. Similar flats in Eccles with a long lease were worth £206,200. The average amount of ground rent was £55 billed quarterly. The lease came to a finish on 1 September 2082. Taking into account 56 years outstanding we approximated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £31,400 and £36,200 not including legals.

Eccles case:

Dr Mason Brown acquired a basement apartment in Eccles in February 2011. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) premium could be to extend the lease by ninety years. Comparable properties in Eccles with an extended lease were worth £300,000. The average amount of ground rent was £50 invoiced monthly. The lease terminated on 5 June 2102. Having 76 years left we estimated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £8,600 and £9,800 exclusive of professional charges.