Stop! Your Lease Extension in Markyate Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Markyate 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 Markyate 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 Markyate lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Markyate property value

With a residential leasehold premises in Markyate, you are actually buying a right to reside in a property for a prescribed time frame. These days flat leases are usually granted for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a long period of time, you may think about a lease extension sooner as opposed to later. The general rule is that the shorter the number of years is the cost of extending the lease gets disproportionately greater notably once there are less than 80 years remaining. Leasehold owners in Markyate with a lease approaching 81 years unexpired should seriously consider extending it sooner as opposed to later. When a lease has under 80 years outstanding, under the current statute the landlord is entitled to calculate and demand a larger amount, assessed on a technical computation, known as “marriage value” which is payable.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with in excess of one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the same as a freehold. Where an additional ninety years added to any lease with more than 30 years unexpired, the residence will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years ahead.

Mortgage lenders may not grant a mortgage with a short lease

Most high street banks are tightening their criteria and many now want flats to have at least sixty if not seventy years remaining once the mortgage has expired. As a number of flats in Markyate were built in the fifties, sixties and seventies this means many now require lease extensions if they wish to get a mortgage.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Barclays plc Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage should be declined (see exception below).

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;
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.
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.

Get in touch with one of our Markyate lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Lease extensions in Markyate can be a difficult process. We recommend you secure professional help from a conveyancing solicitor and valuer 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 Markyate lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Markyate Lease Extension Example Cases:

Benjamin, Markyate, Hertfordshire

In 2014 Benjamin, started to get near to the 80-year threshold with the lease on his ground floor flat in Markyate. Having bought his flat two decades ago, the unexpired term was of little interest. by good luck, he became aware that he would imminently be paying way over the odds for Extending the lease. Benjamin arranged for a lease extension just in the nick of time in August. Benjamin and the freeholder ultimately agreed on an amount of £5,500 . If the lease had dropped below eighty years, the price would have escalated by at least £900.

Markyate case:

Last June we were called by Ms A Miller , who purchased a first floor apartment in Markyate in June 2007. The dilemma was if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparable properties in Markyate with 100 year plus lease were worth £205,000. The average amount of ground rent was £50 invoiced per annum. The lease ran out in 2104. Given that there were 78 years as a residual term we estimated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.

Markyate case:

In 2010 we were phoned by Mr and Mrs. B Lambert who, having acquired a one bedroom flat in Markyate in April 2003. The question was if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) price could be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparative residencies in Markyate with a long lease were in the region of £267,600. The mid-range ground rent payable was £65 invoiced yearly. The lease ran out on 14 June 2093. Taking into account 67 years outstanding we estimated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £14,300 and £16,400 plus professional charges.