If you are facing a significant premium because your lease in Grahame Park 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.
Main reasons to start your Grahame Park lease extension today:
A Grahame Park lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.
The value of Grahame Park 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 significantly once the unexpired lease term is less than 80 years
Grahame Park property with a lease extension has roughly the same value as a freehold
It is generally considered that a property with more than one hundred years remaining is worth roughly the same as a freehold. Where an further 90 years added to any lease with more than 30 years unexpired, the residence will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years ahead.
Lending institutions may decide not to lend with a short lease
Mortgage companies are inclined not lend on short residential leases. You are likely to encounter difficulties if you need to sell your flat in Grahame Park if the unexpired term of your lease is below the criteria set by most mortgage companies. Different lenders have different requirements but on the whole theyrequire a minimum remaining lease term of seventy years.
| Lender |
Requirement
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|---|
| 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.
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| Bank of Scotland |
Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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| Birmingham Midshires |
Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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| Chelsea 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.
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| 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 a proposed Lease Extension does not meet these requirements, however you feel that this is in the best interest for our mutual client, please refer all details to the Issuing Office for us to consider.
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.
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Why use us for your lease extension in Grahame Park?
Lease extensions in Grahame Park can be a difficult process. We recommend you obtain professional help from a conveyancer and valuer with experience in this area.
We provide you with an expert from a selection of lease extension solicitors, which ensures a targeted and efficient service as you have a dedicated port of call with an individual lawyer. Our lease extension solicitors have in-depth market knowledge dealing with Grahame Park lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.
Grahame Park Lease Extension Example Cases:
Thomas, Grahame Park, North London,
Thomas owned a high value apartment in Grahame Park being sold with a lease of a little over 72 years left. Thomas on an informal basis approached his landlord a well known London-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The landlord was prepared to grant an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a new rent initially set at £150 per annum and increase every twenty five years thereafter. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be due on a lease extension were Thomas to exercise his statutory right. Thomas procured expert advice and secured satisfactory deal informally and ending up with a market value flat.
Grahame Park case:
Last Winter we were contacted by Mr and Mrs. P Wood , who
moved into a studio flat in Grahame Park in February 2011. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would be to extend the lease by ninety years. Comparable residencies in Grahame Park with a long lease were valued around £166,400. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 billed quarterly. The lease finished on 2 May 2080. Considering the 54 years remaining we approximated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £32,300 and £37,400 exclusive of costs.
Decision in Barnet
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Grahame Park property is
1 & 1A Sunningfields Crescent in September 2013. The Tribunals calculation of the amount to be paid into court in respect of the value of the freehold interest is £11,997 in respect of Flat 1 and £15,781 in respect of Flat 1A for a total of £27,778.
This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 71.5 years.