Stop! Your Lease Extension in Olney Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Olney 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 Olney 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 Olney lease extension


Why you should commence your Olney lease extension today:

A Olney leasehold property depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

The market value of a leasehold property in Olney is impacted by how many years the lease has left to run. If it is close to or less than 80 years you should expect problems on re-sale, so it is recommended to arrange for a lease extension prior to buying. It is ideal to start the process of extending the lease is when the lease still has 82 years to run so that a lease extension can be addressed well before the 80 year cut off point. Statute enables Olney qualifying lessees to a ninety year extension added to their remaining lease term (ie if your lease has 50 years left the statutory lease extension will provide a new term of 140 years). The intention of the valuation is to arrive at an opinion of the amount payable by the lessee to the freeholder for the acquisition of the lease extension.

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

Leasehold properties in Olney with more than one hundred years outstanding on the lease are sometimes regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your property. In such situations there is often little upside in buying the freehold unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges justify it.

Banks and Building Societies will not loan monies with a short lease

Lending institutions have specific criteria when lending funds charged on leasehold property. Some will simply refuse lend at all once an unexpired lease term drops lower than a specified unexpired lease term. Many Mortgage lenders will not regard property with an unexpired term of less than 75 years suitable security. As well as this being important when selling, it is also relevant if you are intending to refinance your Olney property.

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.
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Santander 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
However, we will not accept a lease where on expiry of the mortgage:
(i) less than 50 years remain and all or part of the loan is repaid on an interest-only basis: or
(ii) less than 30 years remain and the loan is repaid on a capital and interest basis

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.
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.
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.

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

The lawyers that we work with procure Olney 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 conveyancer we work with provide it.

Olney Lease Extension Example Cases:

Freddie, Olney, Buckinghamshire

In 2014 Freddie, came critically near to the 80-year mark with the lease on his basement flat in Olney. Having purchased his flat 18 years previously, the lease term was of minimal concern. by good luck, he recognised he would imminently be paying an escalated premium for Extending the lease. Freddie extended the lease at the eleventh hour last July. Freddie and the freeholder ultimately agreed on a premium of £6,000 . If the lease had dipped lower than 80 years, the premium would have gone up by a minimum £975.

Olney case:

In 2009 we were contacted by Mr Felix Bennett who, having was assigned a lease of a purpose-built apartment in Olney in January 1999. The dilemma was if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would likely be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparative premises in Olney with a long lease were valued around £280,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £55 billed yearly. The lease concluded in 2103. Having 77 years remaining we approximated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £13,300 and £15,400 plus expenses.

Olney case:

Last month we were approach by Dr W Taylor , who owned a garden flat in Olney in October 1995. We are asked if we could estimate the premium would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparable flats in Olney with an extended lease were valued about £183,600. The average ground rent payable was £65 invoiced per annum. The lease terminated in 2083. Having 57 years remaining we approximated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £28,500 and £33,000 not including expenses.