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Top reasons for Shrivenham lease extension


Why you should commence your Shrivenham lease extension today:

A Shrivenham leasehold property depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

It’s an underpublicised certainty that a Shrivenham residential lease is a wasting asset. As the lease term diminishes so does the value of the property. The extent of this is taken for granted in the early years due to the depreciation being disguised by increases in the Shrivenham property prices.Where your lease has approximately 90 years left, you should start thinking about a lease extension. An important point to note is that it is desirable for lease extension to take place before the term of the existing lease slips below eighty years - otherwise a higher amount will be payable. The majority of leasehold owners in Shrivenham will be able to extend under the legislation; however a lawyer will be able to clarify whether you qualify for an extension. In some situations you may not qualify. There are also strict timetables and procedures to follow once the process is initiated and you will need to be guided by your conveyancing solicitor from beginning to end of the process.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with more than one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the same as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to all but the shortest lease, the residence will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years in the future.

Lending institutions will not issue a mortgage with a short lease

The definition of a short lease depends on the specific mortgage company, yet banks and building societies start to get nervous at around 75 years. This may be problematic as and when you need to sell or refinance your property as it will be practically unmortgageable. You might have no imminent plan to sell but when you do your buyer will have to hold off for a couple of years before they can commence the legal procedures for a lease extension.

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.
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.
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.
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 Shrivenham?

The conveyancing solicitors that we work with procure Shrivenham 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.

Shrivenham Lease Extension Example Cases:

Alex, Shrivenham, Oxfordshire

18 months ago Alex, started to get close to the eighty-year threshold with the lease on his one bedroom apartment in Shrivenham. In buying his flat two decades ago, the length of the lease was of no importance. by good luck, he became aware that he would soon be paying an inflated amount for a lease extension. Alex extended the lease just under the wire last August. Alex and the freeholder ultimately agreed on a premium of £6,000 . If the lease had descended to less than eighty years, the figure would have increased by at least £1,050.

Shrivenham case:

Mr and Mrs. R Sánchez acquired a garden apartment in Shrivenham in July 2007. We are asked if we could estimate the price could be for a ninety year lease extension. Comparable premises in Shrivenham with a long lease were worth £173,800. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 billed monthly. The lease finished on 17 April 2080. Taking into account 55 years outstanding we calculated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £31,400 and £36,200 exclusive of legals.

Shrivenham case:

Mr Thomas Mitchell purchased a garden apartment in Shrivenham in May 1999. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium would be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Similar homes in Shrivenham with an extended lease were valued around £235,200. The mid-range ground rent payable was £45 billed per annum. The lease ran out on 11 September 2091. Given that there were 66 years remaining we estimated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £12,400 and £14,200 plus professional charges.