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Main reasons to commence your Grange Over Sands lease extension


Why you should start your Grange Over Sands lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Grange Over Sands property value

Grange Over Sands leases on residential properties are gradually decreasing in value. The shorter the remaining lease term becomes, the less it is worth – and accordingly any extension of your lease becomes more expensive. Legislation has been in place for sometime now which entitles qualifying Grange Over Sands residential leaseholders to extend the terms of long leases. If you are a leasehold owner in Grange Over Sands you really ought to see if your lease has between seventy and ninety years left. There are good reasons why a Grange Over Sands flat owner with a lease having around 80 years left should take steps to make sure that a lease extension is put in place without delay

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is generally considered that a residential leasehold with in excess of 100 years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to all but the shortest lease, the property will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years in the future.

Banks and Building Societies may decide not to finance a property with a short lease

Most high street banks are making their criteria more stringent and many now want flats to have at least sixty if not seventy years remaining once the mortgage has expired. As many flats in Grange Over Sands were created in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as a result many now need to be extended if they if they are to be mortgageable.

Lender Requirement
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
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.
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.
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

What makes us experts in Grange Over Sands lease extensions?

Using our service gives you better control over the value of your Grange Over Sands leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in relation to the lease length should you want to sell. The lawyers that we work with have a in-depth market knowledge handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Grange Over Sands Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Mason, Grange Over Sands, Cumbria,

Mason was the the leasehold owner of a high value apartment in Grange Over Sands on the market with a lease of fraction over 61 years remaining. Mason on an informal basis contacted his freeholder a well known Manchester-based freehold company for a lease extension. The freeholder was prepared to give an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a rise in the rent to £100 annually. No ground rent would be payable on a lease extension were Mason to invoke his statutory right. Mason procured expert advice and secured satisfactory deal without going to tribunal and readily saleable.

Grange Over Sands case:

In 2013 we were contacted by Mr and Mrs. U Roux who, having purchased a newly refurbished flat in Grange Over Sands in January 2001. The question was if we could approximate the premium would likely be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Comparative flats in Grange Over Sands with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £255,000. The average amount of ground rent was £50 collected annually. The lease came to a finish in 2095. Given that there were 71 years remaining we calculated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 exclusive of costs.

Grange Over Sands case:

In 2010 we were e-mailed by Dr Y Anderson who, having moved into a first floor flat in Grange Over Sands in July 1995. We are asked if we could approximate the premium would be for a ninety year lease extension. Comparative homes in Grange Over Sands with an extended lease were valued around £254,200. The average amount of ground rent was £60 invoiced every twelve months. The lease finished on 24 November 2075. Considering the 51 years left we calculated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £43,700 and £50,600 not including expenses.