For those whose Walkington flat is held on a long lease, the message is clear – if no remedial action is taken, the property will ultimately revert to the freeholder, leaving you empty-handed. The shorter the lease the less it is worth and the more it will cost to obtain a lease extension.
Leasehold premises in Walkington with more than one hundred years remaining on the lease are sometimes referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your home. In such situations there is often little upside in purchasing the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and estate charges merit it.
| 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. |
| 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; |
| Barnsley Building Society | 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term. |
| 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. |
Retaining our service will provide you better control over the value of your Walkington leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in respect of lease length should you want to sell. The conveyancers that we work with have a wealth of experience of handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.
Last Winter Harvey, started to get near to the eighty-year threshold with the lease on his ground floor apartment in Walkington. Having purchased his property two decades ago, the length of the lease was of minimal bearing. by good luck, he became aware that he needed to take action soon on a lease extension. Harvey was able to extend his lease just in the nick of time in April. Harvey and the freeholder via the management company subsequently settled on a premium of £5,000 . If he not met the deadline, the premium would have become more costly by a minimum £950.
Dr L Murphy bought a basement apartment in Walkington in June 2005. The dilemma was if we could estimate the price would likely be for a 90 year lease extension. Similar properties in Walkington with an extended lease were in the region of £216,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 invoiced monthly. The lease ended in 2084. Given that there were 58 years left we estimated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £28,500 and £33,000 not including legals.
Last Autumn we were contacted by Mr and Mrs. E Martínez , who bought a purpose-built flat in Walkington in August 2002. The dilemma was if we could approximate the premium could be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Identical premises in Walkington with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £205,000. The average ground rent payable was £50 invoiced yearly. The lease concluded in 2104. Considering the 78 years outstanding we approximated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £8,600 and £9,800 exclusive of legals.