Stop! Your Lease Extension in Great Baddow Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Great Baddow 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 Great Baddow 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 Great Baddow lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Great Baddow property value

The re-sale value of a leasehold property in Great Baddow is impacted by how many years the lease has left to run. If it is close to or fewer than 80 years you should expect difficulties on re-sale, so it is recommended to arrange for the lease to be extended prior to buying. It is preferable to commence the lease extension process when the lease still has 82 years to run so that formalities can be concluded ahead of the 80 year threshold. Current legislation entitles Great Baddow qualifying lessees to a 90 year extension added to their unexpired lease term (ie if your lease has fifty years remaining the statutory lease extension will provide a new term of 140 years). The reason of the valuation is to determine the sum payable by the lessee to the freeholder for the purchase of the lease extension.

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

Leasehold properties in Great Baddow with more than one hundred years unexpired on the lease are often regarded as a ‘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 to be gained by buying the freehold unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges justify it.

Banks and Building Societies may not loan monies on a short lease

Banks and Building Societies have specific criteria when lending monies secured on leasehold property. Many will simply refrain from lending at all once an unexpired lease term slips beneath a certain unexpired lease term. Many Mortgage lenders will not regard property with an unexpired term of less than 75 years as adequate security. As well as this being important when selling, it is also relevant where you are intending to remortgage your Great Baddow property.

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.
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.

Why use us for your lease extension in Great Baddow?

The conveyancers that we work with handle Great Baddow lease extensions and help protect your position. A lease extension can be arranged to be completed to coincide with a change of ownership so the costs of the lease extension are paid for using part of the sale proceeds. You really do need expert legal advice in this difficult and technical area of law. The lawyer we work with provide it.

Great Baddow Lease Extension Case Studies:

Phoebe, Great Baddow, Essex,

In the wake of eight months of unsuccessful discussions with the landlord of her purpose-built apartment in Great Baddow, Phoebe started the lease extension process just as her lease was nearing the critical eighty-year deadline. The transaction was concluded in March 2014. The freeholder’s charges were restricted to a tad over 450 GBP.

Great Baddow case:

In 2011 we were approached by Ms Aimee Hernández who, having bought a first floor apartment in Great Baddow in January 2000. We are asked if we could estimate the price would likely be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Similar premises in Great Baddow with an extended lease were valued around £255,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £50 collected quarterly. The lease lapsed on 5 October 2096. Given that there were 70 years as a residual term we estimated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £10,500 and £12,000 plus fees.

Great Baddow case:

In 2011 we were phoned by Mr and Mrs. B Hall who, having moved into a one bedroom flat in Great Baddow in February 1995. The dilemma was if we could approximate the premium could be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparable homes in Great Baddow with a long lease were worth £246,800. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 billed yearly. The lease came to a finish in 2076. Considering the 50 years left we calculated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £44,700 and £51,600 not including expenses.