Stop! Your Lease Extension in Seaham Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Seaham 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 Seaham 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.

Top reasons for Seaham lease extension


Why you should start your Seaham lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Seaham property value

On the balance of probabilities if you own a flat in Seaham you actually own a long leasehold interest over your property

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 additional 90 years added to any lease with more than 45 years remaining, the residence will be worth the same as a freehold for many years in the future.

Lending institutions may not issue a mortgage on a short lease

Nearly all mortgage lenders require a lengthy amount of time remaining on a leasehold property before they will consider providing a mortgage on it. Even if you don't require a mortgage, you should bear in mind that it is reasonable to assume that someone wanting to acquire your property in the future might well do, so where they are not able to secure a mortgage, then the financial worth of your property will likely be adversely impacted. Since 2008 the majority of mortgage lenders have increased the required minimum lease length that they are willing to grant a mortgage on

Lender Requirement
Accord Mortgages 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.
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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;
Chelsea 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.
Santander

If the property is leasehold, the remaining unexpired lease term at the end of the new mortgage term must be at least 50 years where any part of the mortgage is on Interest Only and 30 years if all loan parts are on Capital Repayment and Interest.

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.
 


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.

Why use us for your lease extension in Seaham?

Using our service will provide you enhanced control over the value of your Seaham leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in relation to the lease length should you decide to sell. The lawyers that we work with have a wealth of experience of handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Seaham Lease Extension Case Studies:

Sophie, Seaham, County Durham,

After protracted correspondence with the freeholder of her ground floor flat in Seaham, Sophie commenced the lease extension process just as her lease was nearing the critical eighty-year mark. The lease extension completed in November 2005. The freeholder’s charges were kept to an absolute minimum.

Seaham case:

Last month we were e-mailed by Mr I Morel , who was assigned a lease of a first floor apartment in Seaham in June 2006. We are asked if we could approximate the premium could be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Identical homes in Seaham with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £242,600. The mid-range ground rent payable was £45 invoiced annually. The lease expired on 12 June 2093. Given that there were 67 years unexpired we calculated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £11,400 and £13,200 plus professional charges.

Seaham case:

In 2011 we were contacted by Dr U Gunderson who, having owned a basement flat in Seaham in September 2008. The question was if we could approximate the premium would be to extend the lease by ninety years. Comparative flats in Seaham with 100 year plus lease were valued around £280,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £55 collected annually. The lease ran out in 2104. Given that there were 78 years outstanding we approximated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 plus legals.