Stop! Your Lease Extension in Redfield Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Redfield 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 Redfield 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 Redfield lease extension


Main reasons to commence your Redfield lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Redfield property value

Redfield leases on residential deteriorating in value. if your lease has approximately ninety years unexpired, you should start thinking about a lease extension. If lease term is under eighty years, you will then have to pay half of the property's 'marriage value' on top of the usual cost of the lease extension to the landlord. Marriage value is the amount of extra value that a lease extension will add to the property. Flat owners in Redfield will mostly qualify for a lease extension; however it’s a good idea to check with a conveyancing solicitor to check your eligibility. In certain situations you may not qualify. There are also strict timetables and formalities to follow once the process is initiated so it’s prudent to be guided by a conveyancer during the process.

Redfield property with a lease extension is almost the same value as a freehold

Leasehold residencies in Redfield with more than one hundred years left on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your property. In such circumstances there is often little upside in purchasing the freehold unless savings on ground rent and estate charges warrant it.

Mortgage lenders may not finance a property on a short lease

The definition of a short lease depends on the specific mortgage company, yet lending institutions start to get nervous at around 75 years. This will be problematic as and when you come to dispose of or refinance your flat as it will be practically unmortgageable. You might not have an imminent intention to sell but when you do your purchaser must hold off for a couple of years before being able to exercise the right to a an extension to the lease.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
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.
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.

Why use us for your lease extension in Redfield?

Using our service gives you increased control over the value of your Redfield leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in relation to the lease length should you decide to sell. The lawyers that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Redfield Lease Extension Case Studies:

Evan, Redfield, Bristol

Two years ago Evan, started to get close to the eighty-year mark with the lease on his studio apartment in Redfield. Having bought his flat two decades ago, the lease term was of minimal significance. Fortunately, he became aware that he needed to take steps soon on Extending the lease. Evan extended the lease at the eleventh hour in March. Evan and the landlord subsequently settled on an amount of £6,000 . If the lease had dipped below 80 years, the price would have escalated by a minimum £925.

Redfield case:

Last Autumn we were approach by Mrs Robyn Peterson , who completed a garden flat in Redfield in August 2011. The dilemma was if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord would be to extend the lease by an additional years. Identical flats in Redfield with a long lease were in the region of £285,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £55 collected annually. The lease elapsed on 7 August 2105. Considering the 79 years unexpired we approximated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 exclusive of fees.

Redfield case:

In 2013 we were contacted by Mr S Lewis who, having completed a purpose-built apartment in Redfield in April 1997. We are asked if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord would be to extend the lease by an additional years. Similar residencies in Redfield with an extended lease were in the region of £193,400. The mid-range ground rent payable was £65 billed monthly. The lease came to a finish in 2085. Given that there were 59 years unexpired we approximated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £21,900 and £25,200 plus costs.