Stop! Your Lease Extension in Hindhead Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Hindhead 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 Hindhead 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.

Top reasons for Hindhead lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

A Hindhead lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

As the the remaining lease term of a Hindhead residential lease lessens so does its value and therefore the value of your property. Where the residual term has, over 99 years remaining then this decrease may be negligible however there will become a point in time when a lease has less than 80 years unexpired as part of the premium you will incur is what is known as a marriage value. This could increase markedly the cost. It is the main rational as to why you should consider extending without delay. The majority of flat owners in Hindhead will qualify for this right; nevertheless a conveyancer can advise if you are eligible for a lease extension. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most frequent reason being that you have owned the property for under two years.

Hindhead property with a lease extension 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 further 90 years added to any lease with more than 45 years unexpired, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for decades to come.

Lenders will not grant a mortgage with a short lease

Banks and building societies do not lend on short residential leases. You are likely to experience difficulties where you want to sell your flat in Hindhead if the remaining lease term is less than the criteria set by most mortgage companies. Different mortgage companies have varying requirements but in the main they are looking for a minimum remaining lease term of 65 years.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start of the mortgage.
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.
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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.

Why use us for your lease extension in Hindhead?

Regardless of whether you are a tenant or a landlord in Hindhead,the lease extension solicitors that we work with will always be happy to discuss any residential leasehold matters and offer you the benefit of their in-depth market knowledge and the close ties they enjoy with Hindhead valuers.

Hindhead Lease Extension Case Studies:

Riley, Hindhead, Surrey

During the course of the last few months Riley, started to get close to the 80-year threshold with the lease on his basement apartment in Hindhead. In buying his property two decades ago, the unexpired term was of little significance. by good luck, he became aware that he needed to take steps soon on a lease extension. Riley arranged for a lease extension just under the wire in August. Riley and the landlord ultimately agreed on an amount of £6,000 . If he failed to meet the deadline, the premium would have increased by a minimum £950.

Hindhead case:

Dr Amber David moved into a one bedroom apartment in Hindhead in August 1995. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would likely be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Identical premises in Hindhead with 100 year plus lease were worth £193,400. The average amount of ground rent was £65 collected yearly. The lease expiry date was in 2085. Considering the 59 years left we estimated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £21,900 and £25,200 plus expenses.

Hindhead case:

Mr and Mrs. K André bought a ground floor flat in Hindhead in October 2004. The question was if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord could be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparable homes in Hindhead with an extended lease were worth £255,000. The average amount of ground rent was £50 invoiced monthly. The lease concluded in 2096. Having 70 years left we calculated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £10,500 and £12,000 plus expenses.