Scunthorpe Lease Extension - Free Consultation

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Why you should start your Scunthorpe lease extension


Main reasons to start your Scunthorpe lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Scunthorpe property value

Scunthorpe leases on domestic properties are gradually losing value. Where your lease has in the region of ninety years remaining, you should start considering the need for a lease extension. Eighty years is a significant number: when the remaining term of a lease dips below this level then you begin incurring an additional element called marriage value. Flat owners in Scunthorpe will usually qualify for a lease extension; however a solicitor will check your eligibility. In some situations you may not qualify. There are prescribed timetables and steps to comply with once the process is initiated so it’s wise to be guided by a conveyancing solicitor during the process.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

It is generally accepted that a residential leasehold with in excess of 100 years unexpired lease term is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to any lease with more than 35 years left, the premises will be worth the same as a freehold for many years ahead.

Lending institutions will not grant a mortgage with a short lease

Banks and Building Societies are less likely to grant a loan offer on a domestic property in Scunthorpe with a short lease. Many lenders simply refuse a mortgage on leases with below 75 years remaining.

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.
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.
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 Scunthorpe lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

The conveyancing solicitors that we work with handle Scunthorpe 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.

Scunthorpe Lease Extension Example Cases:

Omar, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire

Last Summer Omar, came critically near to the eighty-year mark with the lease on his studio flat in Scunthorpe. Having purchased his property twenty years ago, the unexpired term was of no significance. Fortunately, it dawned on him that he needed to take steps soon on Extending the lease. Omar arranged for a lease extension at the eleventh hour in July. Omar and the landlord who owned the flat above ultimately agreed on sum of £5,500 . If he not met the deadline, the price would have gone up by at least £1,050.

Scunthorpe case:

Mr W Taylor completed a one bedroom apartment in Scunthorpe in January 1996. The question was if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparable residencies in Scunthorpe with a long lease were valued around £196,400. The mid-range ground rent payable was £55 invoiced yearly. The lease ran out in 2079. Considering the 54 years unexpired we estimated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £34,200 and £39,600 plus legals.

Scunthorpe case:

Last Christmas we were approach by Mr Muhammad Evans , who completed a first floor flat in Scunthorpe in September 2003. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) price would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Identical residencies in Scunthorpe with an extended lease were in the region of £295,000. The average ground rent payable was £45 billed annually. The lease ran out on 28 March 2099. Considering the 74 years remaining we calculated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £9,500 and £11,000 not including professional charges.