Stop! Your Lease Extension in Newton Ferrers Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Newton Ferrers 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 Newton Ferrers 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 Newton Ferrers lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

A Newton Ferrers lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

Newton Ferrers leases on residential deteriorating in value. Where your lease has in the region of 90 years remaining, you should start thinking about a lease extension. If lease term dips under eighty years, you will then have to pay 50% of the property's 'marriage value' in addition to the usual cost of the lease extension to the landlord. Marriage value is the amount of extra value that a lease extension will add to the property. Leasehold owners in Newton Ferrers will mostly be legally entitled to a lease extension; however a solicitor should be able check if you qualify. In certain circumstances you may not be entitled. There are prescribed timetables and procedures to comply with once the process has commenced so it’s prudent to be guided by a conveyancing solicitor during the process.

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

Leasehold properties in Newton Ferrers with over one hundred years unexpired on the lease are often regarded as a ‘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 justify it.

Lenders may not grant a mortgage on a short lease

Banks and building societies are making their criteria more stringent and many now require flats to have a minimum of sixty if not seventy years left at the expiry of the mortgage. Considering plenty of flats in Newton Ferrers were created in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s this means many now need to be extended if they wish to get a mortgage.

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.
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.
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.

Why use us for your lease extension in Newton Ferrers?

Engaging our service gives you enhanced control over the value of your Newton Ferrers leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in respect of lease length should you wish to sell. The conveyancers that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Newton Ferrers Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Felix, Newton Ferrers, Devon

Two years ago Felix, came very near to the 80-year threshold with the lease on his garden flat in Newton Ferrers. In buying his home two decades ago, the length of the lease was of no importance. Fortunately, he became aware that he would soon be paying an escalated premium for a lease extension. Felix was able to extend his lease just under the wire in January. Felix and the freeholder via the management company ultimately agreed on a premium of £6,000 . If the lease had slid lower than 80 years, the price would have become more costly by at least £900.

Newton Ferrers case:

Last year we were called by Mr and Mrs. L Clark , who moved into a one bedroom flat in Newton Ferrers in July 2006. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) compensation to the landlord would likely be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Identical properties in Newton Ferrers with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £265,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £55 collected per annum. The lease terminated in 2100. Taking into account 74 years remaining we estimated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £9,500 and £11,000 not including professional charges.

Newton Ferrers case:

In 2014 we were contacted by Mr Seth Mitchell who, having acquired a studio flat in Newton Ferrers in March 2002. The question was if we could approximate the compensation to the landlord would likely be to extend the lease by 90 years. Identical premises in Newton Ferrers with a long lease were in the region of £166,400. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 invoiced quarterly. The lease finished on 6 November 2080. Given that there were 54 years remaining we approximated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £32,300 and £37,400 not including professional charges.