Stop! Your Lease Extension in Romiley Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Romiley 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 Romiley 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 Romiley lease extension


Why you should start your Romiley lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Romiley property value

Unfortunately that a Romiley residential lease is a deteriorating asset. As the lease term diminishes so does the value of the property. The extent of this is taken for granted in the early years due to the loss of value being disguised by increases in the Romiley property prices.Where your lease has approximately ninety years left, you need to start thinking about a lease extension. If lease term slips below 80 years, you will then be required to pay half of the property's 'marriage value' in addition to the usual cost of the lease extension to the landlord. Marriage value is the amount of additional value that a lease extension will add the property Most flat owners in Romiley will be able to extend under the legislation; however a lawyer will be able to confirm if you are eligibility. In some situations you may not be entitled. There are also strict deadlines and procedures to be adhered to once the process is initiated and you will need to be guided by your lawyer from beginning to end of the process.

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

It is generally accepted that a property with more than 100 years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the same as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to all but the shortest lease, the premises will be worth the same as a freehold for many years in the future.

Mortgage lenders may not loan monies with a short lease

The trend since 2008 has been for lenders to tighten lending criteria across the board - this has extended to the property over which the mortgage is to be granted. This has meant the unexpired lease term required by banks has increased. In the past mortgage companies would lend on a lease with 25 years plus the term of the loan - typically fifty year leases but those requirements are being increasingly undermined by the requirement for longer and longer leases - many use a minimum term of 75 years as standard.

Lender Requirement
Barclays plc Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage are not acceptable.

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;
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date 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.
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.

What makes us experts in Romiley lease extensions?

Regardless of whether you are a tenant or a landlord in Romiley,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 Romiley valuers.

Romiley Lease Extension Example Cases:

Jason, Romiley, Greater Manchester

16 months ago Jason, came precariously close to the 80-year mark with the lease on his leasehold apartment in Romiley. Having bought his property 18 years previously, the lease term was of no bearing. Fortunately, he realised he would imminently be paying way over the odds for Extending the lease. Jason extended the lease at the eleventh hour in June. Jason and the freeholder via the managing agents subsequently agreed on an amount of £6,000 . If the lease had descended below 80 years, the price would have increased by at least £950.

Romiley case:

Last Summer we were called by Mr and Mrs. P Cooper , who completed a first floor apartment in Romiley in April 2008. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord could be to extend the lease by ninety years. Identical residencies in Romiley with an extended lease were in the region of £255,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £50 collected annually. The lease elapsed on 23 September 2097. Taking into account 71 years left we estimated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £9,500 and £11,000 exclusive of fees.

Romiley case:

In 2011 we were called by Mrs F Bonnet who, having bought a garden apartment in Romiley in August 2000. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would likely be to extend the lease by ninety years. Comparable premises in Romiley with 100 year plus lease were worth £254,200. The average amount of ground rent was £60 collected annually. The lease expiry date was in 2077. Taking into account 51 years unexpired we calculated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £43,700 and £50,600 exclusive of costs.