Stop! Your Lease Extension in Old St Mellons Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Old St Mellons 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 Old St Mellons 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.

Why you should start your Old St Mellons lease extension


Main reasons to commence your Old St Mellons lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Old St Mellons property value

As the length of the unexpired term of a Old St Mellons domestic lease lessens so does its value and therefore the value of your property. If the residual term has, more than 125 years to run then this decrease may be of little impact nevertheless there will become a stage when a lease has fewer than 80 years remaining as part of the premium you will incur is what is known as a marriage value. This could increase sharply the cost. It is the primary rational as to why you should extend the lease without delay. Most flat owners in Old St Mellons will meet the qualifying criteria; nevertheless a conveyancing solicitor can confirm if you qualify for a lease extension. In limited situations you may not qualify, the most common reason being that you have owned the property for under two years.

Old St Mellons property with a lease extension is almost the same value as a freehold

Leasehold premises in Old St Mellons with more than one hundred years unexpired on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value 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 maintenance charges justify it.

Banks and Building Societies may not issue a mortgage with a short lease

Many banks and building societies will not lend on a lease with under seventy years remaining - although this varies from lender to lender. A buyer will no doubt encounter difficulties to obtain a mortgage and this could result in your Old St Mellons property being difficult to sell or remortgage.

Lender Requirement
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
Birmingham Midshires Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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.
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

What makes us experts in Old St Mellons lease extensions?

The conveyancers that we work with undertake Old St Mellons lease extensions and help protect your position. A lease extension can be arranged to be completed to coincide with a change of ownership so the costs of the lease extension are paid for using part of the sale proceeds. You really do need expert legal advice in this difficult and technical area of law. The lawyer we work with provide it.

Old St Mellons Lease Extension Example Cases:

Caleb, Old St Mellons, Cardiff,

Caleb owned a conversion flat in Old St Mellons on the market with a lease of a little over 61 years left. Caleb on an informal basis approached his landlord a well known Manchester-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The landlord indicated a willingness to extend the lease to 125 years subject to an increased rent to £100 yearly. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be due on a lease extension were Caleb to invoke his statutory right. Caleb procured expert legal guidance and secured satisfactory resolution informally and ending up with a market value flat.

Old St Mellons case:

Last October we were e-mailed by Dr Isabel Hall , who purchased a one bedroom flat in Old St Mellons in April 2009. We are asked if we could estimate the price would be to prolong the lease by 90 years. Identical homes in Old St Mellons with an extended lease were worth £257,800. The average amount of ground rent was £65 collected monthly. The lease ran out in 2091. Given that there were 65 years unexpired we approximated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £18,100 and £20,800 exclusive of professional charges.

Old St Mellons case:

Last February we were contacted by Mr S Murphy , who moved into a one bedroom flat in Old St Mellons in October 2007. The question was if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord could be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparable flats in Old St Mellons with an extended lease were worth £196,400. The average ground rent payable was £55 billed monthly. The lease ended on 23 July 2080. Taking into account 54 years outstanding we approximated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £35,200 and £40,600 exclusive of professional charges.