Stop! Your Lease Extension in Gamston Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Gamston 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 Gamston 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 Gamston lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

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

It’s an underpublicised truth that a Gamston residential lease is a wasting asset. The lease value reduces in proportion to its lease length. The extent of this is not fully appreciated in the first few years due to the deflation being disguised by increases in the Gamston property prices.Once your lease nears 85ish years, you need to start considering a lease extension. An important point to note is that it is desirable for lease extension to take place before the term of the existing lease falls below eighty years - otherwise a higher premium will be payable. The majority of flat owners in Gamston will be able to extend under the legislation; however a conveyancer should be able to clarify if you are eligibility. In some situations you may not qualify. There are also strict deadlines and procedures to be adhered to once the process has commenced and you will need to be guided by your conveyancer from beginning to end of the formalities.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with more than one hundred years unexpired lease term 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 worth the same as a freehold for many years in the future.

Banks and Building Societies may decide not to loan monies with a short lease

Nearly all banks and building societies insist on a lengthy amount of time remaining on a leasehold property before they will consider it as adequate security. Regardless of whether you require a mortgage, you should be mindful that it is reasonable to assume that someone wishing to buy your property in the future might well do, so if they are unable to secure a mortgage, then the value of your property could suffer. In the last decade the majority of banks and building societies have increased the required minimum lease length that they are willing to grant a mortgage on

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.
Santander You must report the unexpired lease term to us and await our instructions if:
1. the unexpired term assumed by our valuer is between 55 and 82 years, but the actual unexpired term differs by more than one year (whether longer or shorter); or
2. the unexpired term assumed by our valuer is more than 82 years but the actual unexpired term is less than 82 years; or
3. no valuation report is provided
However, we will not accept a lease where on expiry of the mortgage:
(i) less than 50 years remain and all or part of the loan is repaid on an interest-only basis: or
(ii) less than 30 years remain and the loan is repaid on a capital and interest basis

We will accept a lease that has been extended under the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Act 1993 provided statutory compensation would be available to the leaseholder.
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 Gamston lease extensions?

Irrespective of whether you are a tenant or a freeholder in Gamston,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 in-depth market knowledge and the close ties they enjoy with Gamston valuers.

Gamston Lease Extension Case Studies:

Jasper, Gamston, Nottinghamshire

In 2014 Jasper, started to get close to the 80-year threshold with the lease on his studio flat in Gamston. Having purchased his home two decades ago, the lease term was of little significance. by good luck, he realised he needed to take action soon on Extending the lease. Jasper extended the lease at the eleventh hour in July. Jasper and the landlord who owned the flat above eventually settled on an amount of £5,500 . If the lease had fallen to less than 80 years, the price would have gone up by at least £1,075.

Gamston case:

In 2009 we were phoned by Mrs Rhiannon Carter who, having acquired a basement apartment in Gamston in February 2009. The question was if we could estimate the premium could be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparable homes in Gamston with a long lease were in the region of £295,000. The average ground rent payable was £45 invoiced quarterly. The lease finished on 5 October 2101. Having 75 years remaining we estimated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £8,600 and £9,800 plus fees.

Gamston case:

Mr B Williams acquired a one bedroom flat in Gamston in April 2003. We are asked if we could estimate the premium would be for a ninety year lease extension. Similar premises in Gamston with an extended lease were valued about £250,400. The mid-range ground rent payable was £65 collected quarterly. The lease elapsed on 16 July 2090. Taking into account 64 years outstanding we calculated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £19,000 and £22,000 exclusive of expenses.