Stop! Your Lease Extension in Seaton Delaval Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Seaton Delaval 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 Seaton Delaval 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 Seaton Delaval lease extension


Why you should commence your Seaton Delaval lease extension today:

A Seaton Delaval lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

The rule of thumb is, all other factors being equal, the shorter the lease the more expensive the premium. Qualifying leaseholders in Seaton Delaval can extend the lease for a further ninety years under legislation. Please think carefully before delaying your Seaton Delaval lease extension. Postponing that expense today simply increases the amount you will ultimately have to pay to extend the lease.

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

Leasehold residencies in Seaton Delaval with in excess of one hundred years remaining on the lease are sometimes regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your home. In such situations there is often little to be gained by buying the freehold unless savings on ground rent and estate charges justify it.

Banks and Building Societies may decide not to issue a mortgage with a short lease

Lending institutions are less likely to grant a loan offer on a domestic flat in Seaton Delaval with a short lease. Many lenders simply refuse to lend on leases with below 75 years left.

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.
Birmingham Midshires 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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.
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 Seaton Delaval?

The conveyancers that we work with undertake Seaton Delaval 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 lawyer we work with provide it.

Seaton Delaval Lease Extension Example Cases:

Ben, Seaton Delaval, Northumberland

Last year Ben, started to get close to the eighty-year threshold with the lease on his first floor flat in Seaton Delaval. Having purchased his flat 19 years ago, the lease term was of no importance. Thankfully, it dawned on him that he needed to take steps soon on a lease extension. Ben was able to extend his lease at the eleventh hour in April. Ben and the freeholder subsequently agreed on a premium of £6,000 . If the lease had slid to less than 80 years, the premium would have escalated by at least £1,075.

Seaton Delaval case:

Mr S Rodríguez took over the lease of a garden flat in Seaton Delaval in July 2004. We are asked if we could estimate the premium would likely be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparable flats in Seaton Delaval with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £200,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £50 billed quarterly. The lease finished in 2103. Having 77 years left we approximated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £8,600 and £9,800 not including professional charges.

Seaton Delaval case:

Mr and Mrs. K Bennett purchased a studio apartment in Seaton Delaval in January 2011. The dilemma was if we could estimate the price would be to extend the lease by a further 90 years. Comparable homes in Seaton Delaval with an extended lease were valued about £265,200. The mid-range ground rent payable was £65 invoiced per annum. The lease elapsed on 6 April 2092. Given that there were 66 years left we estimated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £15,200 and £17,600 exclusive of professional charges.