With a long leasehold property in Grasmere, you are actually purchasing a right to live in a property for a set period of time. These days flat leases are usually granted for 99 years or 125. Many leasehold owners are unconcerned as this seems like a long period of time, you may think about a lease extension sooner as opposed to later. The general rule is that the shorter the lease is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly notably when there are less than 80 years remaining. Residents in Grasmere with a lease nearing 81 years remaining should seriously think of extending it as soon as possible. When the lease term has fewer than eighty years left, under the current statute the freeholder is entitled to calculate and demand a larger premium, assessed on a technical computation, strangely termed as “marriage value” which is payable.
Leasehold properties in Grasmere with more than 100 years left on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your premises. In such situations there is often little upside in buying the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and service charges justify it.
| 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. |
| Nationwide Building Society | - Our minimum unexpired lease term is 55 years, except where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat, in which case our minimum unexpired term is 90 years. - There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start). 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 - Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years. 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 55 years - Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat - 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 is 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 55 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% 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 (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat) - 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 (does not apply to Shared Ownership) - 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 charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis 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% 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 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. |
| Royal Bank of Scotland | Mortgage term plus 30 years. |
| 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. |
Regardless of whether you are a tenant or a landlord in Grasmere,the lease extension experts that we work with will always be willing to discuss any residential leasehold matters and offer you the benefit of their in-depth market knowledge and the close ties they enjoy with Grasmere valuers.
Two years ago Michael, started to get close to the 80-year mark with the lease on his ground floor apartment in Grasmere. In buying his flat two decades ago, the lease term was of no interest. Thankfully, he recognised he would soon be paying way over the odds for a lease extension. Michael was able to extend his lease just ahead of time in April. Michael and the freeholder via the managing agents ultimately agreed on an amount of £5,500 . If he not met the deadline, the sum would have become more exhorbitant by at least £1,050.
Mrs Paige Walker owned a one bedroom apartment in Grasmere in April 2009. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) compensation to the landlord would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparable flats in Grasmere with an extended lease were valued around £240,600. The mid-range ground rent payable was £65 collected yearly. The lease lapsed in 2088. Having 62 years unexpired we calculated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £21,900 and £25,200 not including legals.
Mr Matthew Bernard acquired a one bedroom apartment in Grasmere in April 2001. We are asked if we could approximate the price could be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Comparative residencies in Grasmere with an extended lease were valued about £181,600. The mid-range ground rent payable was £55 invoiced yearly. The lease concluded in 2078. Given that there were 52 years outstanding we approximated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £30,400 and £35,200 exclusive of expenses.