Stop! Your Lease Extension in Hornchurch Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Hornchurch 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 Hornchurch 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 commence your Hornchurch lease extension


Main reasons to start your Hornchurch lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Hornchurch property value

When it comes to long leasehold property in Hornchurch, you are in fact renting it for a certain period of time. These days flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a lengthy period of time, you may consider extending the lease sooner as opposed to later. Accepted thinking is that the shorter the lease is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly particularly when there are less than eighty years left. Anyone in Hornchurch with a lease nearing 81 years left should seriously think of extending it sooner rather than later. When a lease has below 80 years remaining, under the current legislation the landlord can calculate and levy a larger premium, based on a technical computation, known as “marriage value” which is payable.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold properties in Hornchurch with in excess of 100 years left on the lease are sometimes 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 to be gained by purchasing the freehold unless savings on ground rent and service charges warrant it.

Lenders may decide not to grant a mortgage on a short lease

Lending institutions are less likely to give a loan offer on a residential flat in Hornchurch with a short lease. Many lenders simply refuse a mortgage on leases with below 75 years left.

Lender Requirement
Barclays plc Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage are not acceptable.

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;
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.

For Shared Ownership, the remaining term of the lease must be at least 75 years plus the term of the mortgage at the outset of the mortgage.
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
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.

Why use us for your lease extension in Hornchurch?

Lease extensions in Hornchurch can be a difficult process. We recommend you obtain guidance from a conveyancing solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area.

We provide you with an expert from a selection of lease extension solicitors, which ensures a targeted and efficient service as you have a dedicated port of call with an individual lawyer. Our lease extension solicitors have in-depth market knowledge dealing with Hornchurch lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Hornchurch Lease Extension Example Cases:

Shannon, Hornchurch, London,

Subsequent to lengthy correspondence with the landlord of her leasehold flat in Hornchurch, Shannon initiated the lease extension process just as her lease was approaching the all-important 80-year mark. The legal work completed in June 2013. The landlord’s fees were kept to an absolute minimum.

Hornchurch case:

Last Spring we were called by Mr L Green , who took over the lease of a one bedroom apartment in Hornchurch in February 2010. We are asked if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord would be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Identical residencies in Hornchurch with an extended lease were worth £250,400. The mid-range ground rent payable was £65 invoiced per annum. The lease lapsed on 6 September 2090. Having 64 years remaining we calculated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £19,000 and £22,000 not including professional charges.

Decision in Havering

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Hornchurch residence is 37 Lodge Court High Street in November 2013. the decision of the LVT was that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £25,559 This case related to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 57.5 years.