Stop! Your Lease Extension in Stowmarket Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Stowmarket 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 Stowmarket 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 Stowmarket lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Stowmarket property value

When it comes to domestic leasehold property in Stowmarket, you are actually buying an entitlement to reside in a property for a set period of time. Modern flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Many leasehold owners are unconcerned as this seems like a long period of time, you may consider a lease extension sooner as opposed to later. The general rule is that the shorter the number of years is the cost of extending the lease becomes disproportionately more expensive especially once there are fewer than eighty years left. Residents in Stowmarket with a lease drawing near to 81 years remaining should seriously consider extending it sooner than later. When a lease has below eighty years left, under the relevant statute the landlord is entitled to calculate and demand a larger amount, based on a technical multiplication, known as “marriage value” which is payable.

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

It is generally considered that a residential leasehold with in excess of 100 years unexpired lease term is worth approximately the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to any lease with more than 45 years left, the premises will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years in the future.

Mortgage lenders will not finance a property on a short lease

Banks and building societies are tightening their criteria and many now expect flats to have at least sixty if not seventy years left once the mortgage has expired. Considering plenty of flats in Stowmarket were created in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as a result many now require lease extensions if they if they are to be mortgageable.

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.
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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.
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date 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.

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

The lawyers that we work with undertake Stowmarket 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.

Stowmarket Lease Extension Example Cases:

Isobel, Stowmarket, Suffolk,

After lengthy discussions with the landlord of her two bedroom flat in Stowmarket, Isobel initiated the lease extension process as the 80 year mark was quickly coming. The lease extension completed in July 2014. The landlord’s costs were kept to an absolute minimum.

Stowmarket case:

In 2014 we were contacted by Mrs Bethan García who, having acquired a newly refurbished apartment in Stowmarket in October 2005. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium would likely be for a 90 year lease extension. Comparative flats in Stowmarket with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £198,800. The average amount of ground rent was £55 billed per annum. The lease terminated in 2081. Having 55 years as a residual term we estimated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £33,300 and £38,400 not including expenses.

Stowmarket case:

Last Winter we were e-mailed by Mr and Mrs. B Robinson , who owned a ground floor apartment in Stowmarket in October 2002. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium could be to extend the lease by 90 years. Identical homes in Stowmarket with an extended lease were valued around £295,000. The average amount of ground rent was £45 invoiced every twelve months. The lease ended on 20 September 2101. Having 75 years left we estimated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £8,600 and £9,800 exclusive of expenses.