Stop! Your Lease Extension in Bourne End Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Bourne End 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 Bourne End 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.

Top reasons for Bourne End lease extension


Main reasons to start your Bourne End lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Bourne End property value

Unfortunately that a Bourne End residential lease is a deteriorating asset. The lease value reduces in proportion to its lease length. The extent of this is taken for granted in the early years due to the reduction being disguised by increases in the Bourne End property prices.Where your lease has approximately ninety years left, you should start thinking about a lease extension. If lease term dips under 80 years, you will then be required to pay 50% of the property's 'marriage value' on top of the usual cost of the lease extension to the landlord. Marriage value is the amount of additional value that a lease extension will add the property The majority of leasehold owners in Bourne End will be able to extend under the legislation; however a conveyancer should be able to confirm if you qualify for an extension. In some situations you may not be entitled. There are also strict deadlines and procedures to follow once the process is initiated and you will need to be guided by your conveyancing solicitor for the duration of the process.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with in excess of one hundred years remaining is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to all but the shortest lease, the residence will be worth the same as a freehold for many years ahead.

Mortgage lenders will not issue a mortgage with a short lease

Mortgage lenders have specific criteria when lending monies secured on leasehold property. Many will simply not lend at all once an unexpired lease term falls beneath a specified unexpired lease term. Many Lending institutions will not consider property with an unexpired below seventy years suitable security. In addition to impacting your ability to sell, it is also relevant where you are seeking to refinance your Bourne End property.

Lender Requirement
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
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.
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.
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 Bourne End lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Irrespective of whether you are a tenant or a freeholder in Bourne End,the lease extension solicitors that we work with will always be happy to discuss any residential leasehold matters and offer you the benefit of their experience and the close ties they enjoy with Bourne End valuers.

Bourne End Lease Extension Case Studies:

Ethan, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire,

Ethan owned a 2 bedroom apartment in Bourne End on the market with a lease of fraction over sixty years left. Ethan on an informal basis approached his freeholder being a well known local-based freehold company for a lease extension. The landlord was keen to give an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a rise in the rent to £200 yearly. No ground rent would be due on a lease extension were Ethan to exercise his statutory right. Ethan obtained expert legal guidance and was able to make a more informed decision and deal with the matter and ending up with a market value flat.

Bourne End case:

In 2014 we were phoned by Ms F García who, having moved into a purpose-built flat in Bourne End in August 2005. We are asked if we could estimate the price could be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Identical properties in Bourne End with a long lease were valued about £183,600. The average ground rent payable was £65 collected quarterly. The lease elapsed in 2083. Having 57 years unexpired we approximated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £28,500 and £33,000 exclusive of fees.

Bourne End case:

Mrs K Collins purchased a studio apartment in Bourne End in November 2002. The question was if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) compensation to the landlord could be to extend the lease by an additional years. Identical homes in Bourne End with a long lease were in the region of £250,000. The average amount of ground rent was £50 collected quarterly. The lease came to a finish on 9 June 2094. Taking into account 68 years outstanding we approximated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £10,500 and £12,000 plus costs.