Stop! Your Lease Extension in Shildon Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Shildon 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 Shildon 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 Shildon lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Shildon property value

The re-sale value of a leasehold property in Shildon is impacted by how long the lease has remaining. If it is close to or less than eighty years you should envisage problems on re-sale, so it is recommended to arrange for a lease extension prior to buying. It is preferable to start the lease extension process when a lease still has 82 years remaining so that all matters can be addressed ahead of the 80 year mark. Current legislation entitles Shildon qualifying lessees to obtain a new lease which will be for the balance of the existing lease plus a further term of 90 years. The intention of the valuation is to determine the sum payable by the lessee to the freeholder for the acquisition of the lease extension.

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

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with more than 100 years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional ninety years added to all but the shortest lease, the residence will be worth the same as a freehold for many years ahead.

Lenders will not lend on a short lease

Banks and building societies are really clamping down as regards to homes in Shildon with short leases. For example you might discover that their lending criteria are stricter and that they alter interest rates depending on how many years are left on the lease. Some may even refrain from lending completely, so where you needed to sell, your remaining options would be to find a cash buyer, or hope for the best at auction thus narrowing your market.

Lender Requirement
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.
Godiva Mortgages A minimum of 70 years unexpired lease at completion for all scheme types apart from Lifetime Mortgages (Equity Release), which require a minimum unexpired term of 80 years at completion.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.

For Shared Ownership, the remaining term of the lease must be at least 75 years plus the term of the mortgage at the outset 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.

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

The conveyancers that we work with procure Shildon 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 conveyancing solicitor we work with provide it.

Shildon Lease Extension Example Cases:

Harvey, Shildon, County Durham,

Harvey was the the leasehold owner of a studio flat in Shildon being sold with a lease of just over sixty years unexpired. Harvey informally contacted his landlord a well known Manchester-based freehold company for a lease extension. The landlord was prepared to grant an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a rise in the rent to £125 per annum. No ground rent would be due on a lease extension were Harvey to exercise his statutory right. Harvey obtained expert legal guidance and was able to make an informed decision and handle with the matter and sell the property.

Shildon case:

In 2013 we were e-mailed by Dr P Ward who, having completed a ground floor apartment in Shildon in November 2004. The question was if we could estimate the premium would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparative residencies in Shildon with 100 year plus lease were valued around £240,600. The average amount of ground rent was £60 invoiced per annum. The lease ended in 2088. Having 62 years outstanding we estimated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £21,900 and £25,200 exclusive of fees.

Shildon case:

Last month we were phoned by Mr Muhammad Richardson , who purchased a ground floor flat in Shildon in October 2012. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would be to extend the lease by an additional years. Identical premises in Shildon with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £174,200. The mid-range ground rent payable was £55 invoiced quarterly. The lease concluded in 2077. Taking into account 51 years remaining we calculated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £31,400 and £36,200 not including costs.