Stop! Your Lease Extension in Pevensey Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Pevensey 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 Pevensey 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 commence your Pevensey lease extension


Main reasons to start your Pevensey lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Pevensey property value

Pevensey leases on residential properties are gradually losing value. if your lease has about 90 years unexpired, you should start considering the need for a lease extension. 80 years is a significant number: when the unexpired term of a lease falls below this level then you begin paying an additional element called marriage value. Leasehold owners in Pevensey will usually qualify for a lease extension; however a solicitor should be able confirm if you qualify. In some situations you may not be entitled. There are also strict timetables and steps to comply with once the process is triggered so it’s best to be guided by a conveyancer during the process.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is generally accepted that a property with over 100 years remaining is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to any lease with more than 30 years unexpired, the residence will be worth the same as a freehold for many years in the future.

Mortgage lenders may decide not to loan monies on a short lease

Mortgage companies are really clamping down as regards to properties in Pevensey with short leases. For example you may find that their lending criteria are stricter and that they alter interest rates depending on the unexpired lease term. Some may even refrain from lending completely, so where you wanted to sell, your remaining options would be to find a cash buyer, or hope for the best at auction thus narrowing the number of potential buyers.

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 30 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.

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

Regardless of whether you are a tenant or a freeholder in Pevensey,the lease extension experts that we work with will always be willing to discuss any residential leasehold matters and offer you the benefit of their in-depth market knowledge and the close ties they enjoy with Pevensey valuers.

Pevensey Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Matthew, Pevensey, East Sussex,

Matthew was the the leasehold owner of a high value apartment in Pevensey being sold with a lease of just over 61 years unexpired. Matthew on an informal basis approached his freeholder a well known Bristol-based freehold company for a lease extension. The freeholder was prepared to agree an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a rise in the rent to £100 per annum. No ground rent would be due on a lease extension were Matthew to exercise his statutory right. Matthew obtained expert legal guidance and was able to make a more informed judgement and handle with the matter and ending up with a market value flat.

Pevensey case:

In 2012 we were e-mailed by Mr and Mrs. T Khan who, having moved into a ground floor apartment in Pevensey in May 2010. The dilemma was if we could estimate the premium would be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparative properties in Pevensey with an extended lease were valued around £261,600. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 invoiced per annum. The lease expired in 2078. Considering the 52 years left we approximated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £39,000 and £45,000 plus professional charges.

Pevensey case:

Last month we were approach by Mr Jason Michel , who bought a garden flat in Pevensey in June 2010. The question was if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) price could be to prolong the lease by ninety years. Identical homes in Pevensey with a long lease were in the region of £218,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £45 collected annually. The lease finished in 2089. Given that there were 63 years left we estimated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £17,100 and £19,800 plus professional charges.