Stop! Your Lease Extension in Willerby Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Willerby 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 Willerby 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 commence your Willerby lease extension


Why you should commence your Willerby lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Willerby property value

Unfortunately that a Willerby residential lease is a deteriorating asset. As the lease term diminishes so does the value of the property. The extent of this is taken for granted in the first few years due to the reduction being disguised by increases in the Willerby property market.Where your lease has approximately 90 years left, you should start considering 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 dips lower than 80 years - otherwise a higher amount will be due. The majority of flat owners in Willerby will be able to extend under the legislation; however a conveyancing solicitor should be able to clarify whether you qualify for an extension. In some cases you may not be entitled. There are also strict timeframes and procedures to follow once the process is instigated and you will need to be guided by your conveyancing solicitor throughout the process.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

Leasehold residencies in Willerby with over one hundred years unexpired on the lease are sometimes regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your property. In such circumstances there is often little upside in purchasing the freehold unless savings on ground rent and estate charges warrant it.

Banks and Building Societies will not finance a property on a short lease

Mortgage lenders have set criteria when loaning monies secured on leasehold property. Some will simply refuse lend at all once an unexpired lease term goes beneath a specified unexpired lease term. Many Mortgage lenders will not consider property with an unexpired term of less than 75 years as adequate security. In addition to impacting your ability to sell, it is also relevant if you are intending to refinance your Willerby property.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Godiva Mortgages 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.
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.
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.
Yorkshire 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.

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

The conveyancers that we work with undertake Willerby 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 conveyancing solicitor we work with provide it.

Willerby Lease Extension Case Studies:

Louise, Willerby, East Yorkshire,

Following unsuccessful negotiations with the landlord of her two bedroom flat in Willerby, Louise commenced the lease extension process as the eighty year deadline was rapidly coming. The lease extension was concluded in April 2006. The freeholder’s costs were restricted to about 550 GBP.

Willerby case:

Last month we were contacted by Mr and Mrs. D Morris , who moved into a one bedroom apartment in Willerby in June 2008. The question was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) compensation to the landlord would be to extend the lease by 90 years. Comparable premises in Willerby with a long lease were in the region of £290,000. The average amount of ground rent was £45 collected per annum. The lease elapsed on 9 May 2099. Taking into account 73 years outstanding we approximated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 not including professional charges.

Willerby case:

Ms Megan Nguyen bought a garden flat in Willerby in February 2009. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord could be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Identical properties in Willerby with a long lease were worth £240,600. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 billed yearly. The lease elapsed in 2088. Given that there were 62 years outstanding we calculated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £21,900 and £25,200 plus legals.