Stop! Your Lease Extension in Hurstpierpoint Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Hurstpierpoint 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 Hurstpierpoint 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 Hurstpierpoint lease extension


Why you should start your Hurstpierpoint lease extension today:

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

There is no doubt about it a leasehold property in Hurstpierpoint is a wasting asset as a result of the shortening lease. Where the lease has, over one hundred years to run then this decrease may be of little impact however there will become a point in time when a lease has fewer than eighty years remaining as part of the premium you will incur is what is termed as a marriage value. This could increase sharply the cost. It is the main logic behind why you should extend the lease without delay. Most flat owners in Hurstpierpoint will qualify for this right; that being said a lawyer should be able to advise whether you are eligible to extend your lease. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most common reason being that you have not been the owner of the property for two years.

Hurstpierpoint property with a lease extension has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold premises in Hurstpierpoint with over 100 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 premises. In such situations there is often little upside in buying the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges merit it.

Lending institutions may not finance a property with a short lease

Banks and building societies are really clamping down as regards to homes in Hurstpierpoint with short leases. For example you may find that their lending requirements are stricter and that they alter interest rates depending on how many years are left on the lease. Some may even refrain from lending completely, so if you wanted to sell, your only options would be to find a cash purchaser, or hope for the best at auction thus limiting your market.

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

If the property is leasehold, the remaining unexpired lease term at the end of the new mortgage term must be at least 50 years where any part of the mortgage is on Interest Only and 30 years if all loan parts are on Capital Repayment and Interest.

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.
 


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.

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.
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.
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.

What makes us experts in Hurstpierpoint lease extensions?

Lease extensions in Hurstpierpoint can be a difficult process. We recommend you procure guidance from a lawyer and valuer 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 Hurstpierpoint lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Hurstpierpoint Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Oscar, Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex,

Oscar was the the leasehold owner of a conversion flat in Hurstpierpoint on the market with a lease of a little over 61 years unexpired. Oscar informally approached his freeholder being a well known Bristol-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The landlord was keen to agree an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a new rent at the outset set at £200 per annum and increase every 25 years thereafter. No ground rent would be due on a lease extension were Oscar to invoke his statutory right. Oscar obtained expert advice and was able to make a more informed judgement and handle with the matter and sell the flat.

Hurstpierpoint case:

Last Spring we were contacted by Mr Sebastian Pérez , who moved into a purpose-built flat in Hurstpierpoint in March 2001. The dilemma was if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord would likely be to extend the lease by 90 years. Comparative flats in Hurstpierpoint with an extended lease were worth £206,200. The average amount of ground rent was £55 invoiced monthly. The lease came to a finish in 2082. Given that there were 56 years remaining we approximated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £31,400 and £36,200 not including legals.

Hurstpierpoint case:

In 2009 we were phoned by Mr Aiden Thompson who, having moved into a studio flat in Hurstpierpoint in May 1999. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord could be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Identical flats in Hurstpierpoint with 100 year plus lease were worth £300,000. The average ground rent payable was £50 billed every twelve months. The lease lapsed in 2102. Having 76 years outstanding we approximated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £8,600 and £9,800 not including expenses.