Stop! Your Lease Extension in Alfriston Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Alfriston 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 Alfriston 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 Alfriston lease extension


Main reasons to start your Alfriston lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Alfriston property value

The rule of thumb is, all other factors being equal, the shorter the lease the more expensive the premium. Qualifying leaseholders in Alfriston may extend the lease for a further ninety years in accordance with Leasehold Reform legislation. Please think carefully before delaying your Alfriston lease extension. Postponing that expense now simply increases the amount you will ultimately be required to pay to extend the lease.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with more than 100 years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to any lease with more than 30 years unexpired, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for many years ahead.

Lending institutions may not issue a mortgage with a short lease

Banks and Building Societies have specific criteria when loaning monies secured on leasehold property. Some will simply refrain from lending at all once an unexpired lease term drops below a certain unexpired lease term. Many Mortgage lenders will not regard property with an unexpired below 75 years as acceptable security. As well as this being important when selling, it is also relevant where you are intending to remortgage your Alfriston home.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.

For Shared Ownership, the remaining term of the lease must be at least 75 years plus the term of the mortgage at the outset of the mortgage.
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.

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

Engaging our service gives you increased control over the value of your Alfriston leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in respect of lease length should you wish to sell. The conveyancers that we work with have a wealth of experience of handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Alfriston Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Ethan, Alfriston, East Sussex

In 2014 Ethan, came very close to the 80-year mark with the lease on his one bedroom apartment in Alfriston. In buying his flat twenty years previously, the unexpired term was of minimal importance. Fortunately, he recognised he would imminently be paying an inflated amount for Extending the lease. Ethan arranged for a lease extension at the eleventh hour in August. Ethan and the freeholder via the management company ultimately agreed on a premium of £6,000 . If the lease had fallen to less than eighty years, the price would have increased by at least £1,025.

Alfriston case:

Dr I Martínez took over the lease of a ground floor flat in Alfriston in August 2009. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) compensation to the landlord would likely be for a 90 year lease extension. Comparable properties in Alfriston with an extended lease were worth £233,200. The average amount of ground rent was £60 billed per annum. The lease ran out in 2087. Taking into account 61 years left we estimated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £22,800 and £26,400 not including legals.

Alfriston case:

Last Spring we were approach by Mrs Lucy Morgan , who moved into a one bedroom flat in Alfriston in June 1999. We are asked if we could approximate the premium would be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Similar flats in Alfriston with a long lease were worth £171,800. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £55 invoiced quarterly. The lease elapsed in 2076. Taking into account 50 years unexpired we approximated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £33,300 and £38,400 plus expenses.