Stop! Your Lease Extension in Lechlade Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Lechlade 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 Lechlade 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 Lechlade lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

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

The rule of thumb is, all other things holding equal, the shorter the lease the more expensive the premium. Qualifying leaseholders in Lechlade may extend the lease for an additional 90 years under statute. Do give careful consideration before delaying your Lechlade lease extension. Putting off the costs now simply increases the premium you will eventually be required to pay for a lease extension.

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

It is conventional wisdom that a property with more than one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the same as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to all but the shortest lease, the residence will be worth the same as a freehold for many years in the future.

Lenders may decide not to lend with a short lease

Mortgage companies do not grant a mortgage on short residential leases. You are likely to experience difficulties if you need to sell your flat in Lechlade if the unexpired term of your lease is below the criteria set by the majority of mortgage companies. Different mortgage companies have different criteria but on the whole theyrequire an unexpired term of at least seventy years.

Lender Requirement
Chelsea 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.
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.
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.
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.

What makes us experts in Lechlade lease extensions?

Lease extensions in Lechlade can be a difficult process. We recommend you obtain professional help from a conveyancing solicitor and surveyor well versed in the legislation and lease extension process.

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 a wealth of experience dealing with Lechlade lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Lechlade Lease Extension Case Summaries:

George, Lechlade, Gloucestershire,

George owned a studio flat in Lechlade being marketed with a lease of a few days over 59 years remaining. George on an informal basis contacted his freeholder 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 subject to a new rent at the outset set at £150 per annum and doubled every twenty five years thereafter. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be due on a lease extension were George to invoke his statutory right. George procured expert advice and was able to make a more informed judgement and handle with the matter and sell the property.

Lechlade case:

In 2013 we were phoned by Dr Hunter Kelly who, having completed a newly refurbished flat in Lechlade in November 1998. The dilemma was if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord could be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Similar properties in Lechlade with an extended lease were worth £227,800. The mid-range ground rent payable was £45 billed annually. The lease came to a finish in 2091. Taking into account 65 years as a residual term we estimated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £13,300 and £15,400 exclusive of costs.

Lechlade case:

Dr T Vincent bought a purpose-built apartment in Lechlade in March 2006. The dilemma was if we could approximate the price could be to extend the lease by ninety years. Comparable flats in Lechlade with 100 year plus lease were worth £275,000. The average ground rent payable was £55 billed quarterly. The lease concluded on 16 June 2102. Considering the 76 years remaining we approximated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £9,500 and £11,000 exclusive of legals.