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Top reasons for Hendon lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Hendon property value

With a long leasehold premises in Hendon, you are actually buying an entitlement to reside in a property for a prescribed time frame. In recent years flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a lengthy period of time, you may think about extending the lease sooner rather than later. The general rule is that the shorter the number of years is the cost of extending the lease becomes disproportionately greater notably when there are fewer than eighty years left. Residents in Hendon with a lease nearing 81 years left should seriously think of extending it sooner than later. Once a lease has under 80 years outstanding, under the relevant statute the landlord can calculate and levy a greater amount, assessed on a technical multiplication, known as “marriage value” which is due.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold residencies in Hendon with over one hundred years unexpired on the lease are sometimes regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your property. In such situations there is often little to be gained by buying the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and estate charges merit it.

Banks and Building Societies will not issue a mortgage on a short lease

The definition of a short lease varies by mortgage company, yet banks and building societies start to get concerned at around 75 years. This will be problematic as and when you wish to sell or remortgage your flat as it will be practically unmortgageable. You might have no imminent intention to sell but when you do your purchaser will need to hold off for two years before they can exercise the right to a an extension to the lease.

Lender Requirement
Barclays plc Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage should be declined (see exception below).

Leases with greater than 70 years but fewer than 85 years remaining must be referred to issuing office.

Leases with fewer than 70 years should only be referred to the issuing office where the following scenario applies, as discretion may be applied subject to bank approval:

• Property is located in any of the following prestigious developments: Cadogan, Crown, Grosvenor, Howard de Walden, Portman or Wellcome Trust Estates in Central London AND
• The value of the property subject to the short remaining term is £500,000 or more AND
• The loan to value does not exceed 90% for purchases, 90% like for like re-mortgages, 80% for re-mortgages with any element of capital raising and 80% for existing Barclays mortgage borrowers applying for additional borrowing;
Coventry Building Society 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.
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.
Skipton Building Society 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage

For Buy to Let cases:
- lettings must not breach any of the lessee’s covenants; and
- consent of the lessor to lettings must be obtained if necessary
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.

What makes us experts in Hendon lease extensions?

Using our service gives you enhanced control over the value of your Hendon leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in terms of lease length should you decide to sell. The conveyancers that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Hendon Lease Extension Case Studies:

Oliver, Hendon, North London,

Oliver was the the leasehold proprietor of a conversion apartment in Hendon being marketed with a lease of just over 72 years unexpired. Oliver on an informal basis approached his landlord being a well known Bristol-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The landlord indicated a willingness to grant an extension taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a new rent to start with set at £100 per annum and doubled every twenty five years thereafter. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be due on a lease extension were Oliver to invoke his statutory right. Oliver obtained expert legal guidance and secured satisfactory deal without resorting to tribunal and ending up with a market value flat.

Hendon case:

Last Summer we were called by Mr and Mrs. F Lewis , who owned a one bedroom apartment in Hendon in November 1998. The question was if we could approximate the price would likely be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparable properties in Hendon with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £205,000. The average amount of ground rent was £50 billed every twelve months. The lease ran out in 2103. Taking into account 79 years outstanding we approximated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £8,600 and £9,800 exclusive of legals.

Decision in Barnet

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Hendon flat is First Floor Flat 61 Wilberforce Road in March 2014. The premium payable was £10,130 and the case was remitted back to the Willesden County Court to effect the Vesting Order (Claim No 3W103100). This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 71 years.