Stop! Your Lease Extension in South Petherton and Lambrook Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in South Petherton and Lambrook 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 South Petherton and Lambrook 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.

Why you should commence your South Petherton and Lambrook lease extension


Main reasons to start your South Petherton and Lambrook lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your South Petherton and Lambrook property value

When it comes to domestic leasehold premises in South Petherton and Lambrook, you effectively rent it for a certain amount of time. These days flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a lengthy period of time, you should consider a lease extension sooner as opposed to later. Accepted thinking is that the shorter the lease is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly especially once there are fewer than 80 years remaining. Leasehold owners in South Petherton and Lambrook with a lease nearing 81 years left should seriously think of extending it sooner than later. Once a lease has under eighty years remaining, under the relevant Act the freeholder can calculate and charge a greater premium, assessed on a technical multiplication, known as “marriage value” which is due.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is generally considered that a residential leasehold with over 100 years unexpired lease term is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an additional ninety years added to any lease with more than 45 years unexpired, the property will be equivalent in value to a freehold for decades to come.

Mortgage lenders may decide not to grant a mortgage with a short lease

Mortgage Lenders are distinct in their lending criteria. Some draw the line at 75 years remaining on the lease; others may be prepared to lend with anything in excess 70 years. Below sixty years, it may be impossible to get a mortgage in the first place.

Lender Requirement
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start of the mortgage.
Santander 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
However, we will not accept a lease where on expiry of the mortgage:
(i) less than 50 years remain and all or part of the loan is repaid on an interest-only basis: or
(ii) less than 30 years remain and the loan is repaid on a capital and interest basis

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.
Skipton Building Society 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage

For Buy to Let cases:
- lettings must not breach any of the lessee’s covenants; and
- consent of the lessor to lettings must be obtained if necessary
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 South Petherton and Lambrook lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Lease extensions in South Petherton and Lambrook can be a difficult process. We recommend you obtain professional help from a conveyancing solicitor 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 a wealth of experience procuring South Petherton and Lambrook lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

South Petherton and Lambrook Lease Extension Example Cases:

Rebecca, South Petherton and Lambrook, Somerset,

After protracted correspondence with the landlord of her first floor apartment in South Petherton and Lambrook, Rebecca started the lease extension process just as her lease was approaching the critical 80-year mark. The legal work was concluded in November 2014. The landlord’s costs were kept to an absolute minimum.

South Petherton and Lambrook case:

In 2014 we were contacted by Dr A Roux who, having completed a recently refurbished flat in South Petherton and Lambrook in September 2011. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) premium could be to extend the lease by 90 years. Similar premises in South Petherton and Lambrook with 100 year plus lease were valued around £280,000. The average amount of ground rent was £45 collected yearly. The lease came to a finish on 9 March 2096. Having 70 years remaining we calculated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £12,400 and £14,200 plus legals.

South Petherton and Lambrook case:

Mr Jonathan Brown purchased a garden apartment in South Petherton and Lambrook in June 1997. The dilemma was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) compensation to the landlord would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Comparable residencies in South Petherton and Lambrook with a long lease were worth £223,400. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 invoiced quarterly. The lease lapsed in 2085. Given that there were 59 years as a residual term we approximated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £27,600 and £31,800 plus fees.