If you are facing a significant premium because your lease in Snaresbrook 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 lease extension now:
Increase your lease and increase your Snaresbrook property value
It’s a harsh certainty that a Snaresbrook residential lease is a wasting asset. As the lease term reduces so does the value of the property. The extent of this is taken for granted in the early years due to the loss of value being disguised by increases in the Snaresbrook property market.Where your lease has approximately 90 years left, you need to start thinking about a lease extension. If lease term dips below 80 years, you will then be required to pay 50% of the property's 'marriage value' in addition to the usual cost of the lease extension to the landlord. Marriage value is the amount of extra value that a lease extension will add the property The majority of leasehold owners in Snaresbrook will be able to extend under the legislation; however a lawyer should be able to clarify whether you are eligibility. In some cases you may not be entitled. There are also strict timetables and procedures to be adhered to once the process has commenced and you will need to be guided by your conveyancing solicitor for the duration of the formalities.
Snaresbrook property with a lease extension has roughly the same value as a freehold
It is generally accepted that a residential leasehold with more than 100 years unexpired lease term is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an further 90 years added to any lease with more than 30 years unexpired, the residence will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years ahead.
Mortgage lenders may decide not to lend on a short lease
Lending institutions are less likely to give a mortgage on a residential property in Snaresbrook with a short lease. Many lenders simply refuse to lend on leases with less than 75 years remaining.
| Lender |
Requirement
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|---|
| Bank of Scotland |
Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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| 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;
|
| Coventry Building Society |
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.
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| 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 a proposed Lease Extension does not meet these requirements, however you feel that this is in the best interest for our mutual client, please refer all details to the Issuing Office for us to consider.
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.
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| Royal Bank of Scotland |
Mortgage term plus 30 years.
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Why use us for your lease extension in Snaresbrook?
Lease extensions in Snaresbrook can be a difficult process. We recommend you get guidance from a conveyancer and surveyor well versed in the legislation and lease extension process.
We provide you with an expert from a selection of lease extension solicitors, which ensures a targeted and efficient service as you have a dedicated port of call with an individual lawyer. Our lease extension solicitors have in-depth market knowledge dealing with Snaresbrook lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.
Snaresbrook Lease Extension Example Cases:
George, Snaresbrook, North East London,
George owned a conversion apartment in Snaresbrook being sold with a lease of a little over 61 years left. George informally contacted his landlord being a well known Manchester-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The freeholder was prepared to grant an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a new rent initially set at £100 per annum and increase every 25 years thereafter. No ground rent would be payable on a lease extension were George to invoke his statutory right. George procured expert legal guidance and was able to make a more informed decision and handle with the matter and ending up with a market value flat.
Snaresbrook case:
Last Christmas we were e-mailed by Ms U Smith , who
bought a garden flat in Snaresbrook in July 2002. The dilemma was if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord could be to extend the lease by ninety years. Similar premises in Snaresbrook with an extended lease were valued about £295,000. The average amount of ground rent was £50 collected every twelve months. The lease concluded in 2101. Having 75 years unexpired we approximated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £8,600 and £9,800 plus costs.
Decision in Redbridge
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Snaresbrook residence is
36 New Wanstead in August 2010. The Tribunal arrived at a valuation of the premium for the freehold of £22,359.
This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 73.92 years.