Stop! Your Lease Extension in Sanderstead Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Sanderstead 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 Sanderstead 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 Sanderstead lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

A Sanderstead lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

With a long leasehold property in Sanderstead, you are actually buying a right to live in a property for a prescribed time frame. These days flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Many leasehold owners are unconcerned as this seems like a lengthy period of time, you may consider extending the lease sooner rather than later. Accepted thinking is that the shorter the number of years is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly especially once there are less than 80 years remaining. Residents in Sanderstead with a lease nearing 81 years unexpired should seriously think of extending it as soon as possible. When a lease has fewer than eighty years outstanding, under the relevant legislation the landlord is entitled to calculate and demand a larger premium, based on a technical multiplication, known as “marriage value” which is due.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold premises in Sanderstead with more than 100 years outstanding on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your premises. In such situations there is often little upside in purchasing the freehold unless savings on ground rent and service charges justify it.

Banks and Building Societies will not grant a mortgage with a short lease

The trend since 2008 has been for lenders to tighten lending requirements across the board - this has extended to the property over which the home loan is to be granted. This has meant the unexpired lease term required by mortgage companies has increased. In the past lenders would grant a mortgage on a lease with 25 years plus the term of the loan - typically 50 year leases but those requirements have been chipped away by the requirement for lengthy leases - many use a minimum term of 75 years as a prerequisite.

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.
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start 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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.

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

Lease extensions in Sanderstead can be a difficult process. We recommend you procure guidance from a conveyancing solicitor and valuer with experience in lease extensions.

We provide you with an expert from a selection of lease extension solicitors, which ensures a targeted and efficient service as you have a dedicated port of call with an individual lawyer. Our lease extension solicitors have in-depth market knowledge dealing with Sanderstead lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Sanderstead Lease Extension Example Cases:

Elijah, Sanderstead, South London,

Elijah was the the leasehold owner of a conversion apartment in Sanderstead on the market with a lease of fraction over sixty years remaining. Elijah on an informal basis spoke with 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 a new rent at the outset set at £100 per annum and increase every twenty five years thereafter. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be payable on a lease extension were Elijah to invoke his statutory right. Elijah obtained expert advice and secured satisfactory deal without resorting to tribunal and sell the flat.

Sanderstead case:

Dr B Girard completed a ground floor flat in Sanderstead in June 1997. The dilemma was if we could approximate the price would be for a 90 year lease extension. Comparable properties in Sanderstead with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £191,400. The average amount of ground rent was £55 invoiced yearly. The lease came to a finish on 27 May 2080. Considering the 54 years remaining we approximated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £34,200 and £39,600 not including costs.

Decision in Croydon

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Sanderstead premises is The Woodlands 95 Purley Park Road in April 2009. The Tribunals own valuation produced the figure of £37,912. This case related to 6 flats. The unexpired lease term was 78.32 years.