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Why you should start your Higher Kinnerton lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Higher Kinnerton property value

The closer a residential lease in Higher Kinnerton nears to zero years unexpired, the the greater the reduction in the value of the property. Where the lease has, in excess of 100 years to run then this decrease may be negligible however there will become a point in time when a lease has fewer than 80 years remaining as part of the premium you will incur is what is termed as a marriage value. This could be significant. It is the primary reason why you should extend the lease sooner than later. The majority of flat owners in Higher Kinnerton will meet the qualifying criteria; that being said a lawyer can advise whether you qualify to extend your lease. In limited situations you may not qualify, the most common reason being that you have not been the owner of the property for two years.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold properties in Higher Kinnerton with more than one hundred years remaining 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 home. In such circumstances there is often little to be gained by purchasing the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges merit it.

Banks and Building Societies may not finance a property on a short lease

Mortgage companies are really clamping down as regards to homes in Higher Kinnerton with short leases. For example you might discover that their lending criteria are stricter and that they adjust interest rates depending on the unexpired lease term. Some may even refrain from lending completely, so if you needed to sell, your only options would be to find a cash purchaser, or hope for the best at auction thus narrowing your market.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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.
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

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.

What makes us experts in Higher Kinnerton lease extensions?

Irrespective of whether you are a tenant or a landlord in Higher Kinnerton,the lease extension lawyers 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 Higher Kinnerton valuers.

Higher Kinnerton Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Maisie, Higher Kinnerton, Flintshire,

After protracted negotiations with the freeholder of her ground floor flat in Higher Kinnerton, Maisie commenced the lease extension process as the eighty year mark was quickly coming. The lease extension was finalised in November 2007. The freeholder’s fees were negotiated to less than 700 GBP.

Higher Kinnerton case:

In 2011 we were phoned by Mr and Mrs. R François who, having owned a newly refurbished apartment in Higher Kinnerton in February 1995. The dilemma was if we could estimate the premium would be for a 90 year lease extension. Similar homes in Higher Kinnerton with an extended lease were valued around £186,000. The average amount of ground rent was £65 invoiced yearly. The lease expired in 2083. Having 58 years outstanding we estimated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £24,700 and £28,600 not including costs.

Higher Kinnerton case:

In 2009 we were phoned by Mrs R Lefèvre who, having was assigned a lease of a ground floor flat in Higher Kinnerton in April 2006. The dilemma was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) compensation to the landlord would likely be to prolong the lease by an additional years. Identical flats in Higher Kinnerton with a long lease were valued about £250,000. The average ground rent payable was £50 collected every twelve months. The lease expired in 2094. Taking into account 69 years as a residual term we calculated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.