Stop! Your Lease Extension in North Finchley Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in North Finchley 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 North Finchley 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 North Finchley lease extension


Why you should commence your North Finchley lease extension today:

A North Finchley lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

The nearer a domestic lease in North Finchley gets to zero years unexpired, the the greater the reduction in the value of the property. Where the lease has, more than 99 years to run then this decrease may be fractional however there will become a point in time when a lease has under than eighty years unexpired as part of the premium you will incur is what is termed as a marriage value. This could increase markedly the cost. It is the primary reason why you should consider extending sooner than later. Many flat owners in North Finchley will meet the qualifying criteria; that being said a conveyancer can advise whether you are eligible for a lease extension. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most frequent reason being that you have owned the property for less than two years.

An extended lease has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold premises in North Finchley with in excess of one hundred years left on the lease are sometimes regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your premises. In such situations there is often little to be gained by purchasing the freehold unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges warrant it.

Lenders will not lend with a short lease

Whether or not the lease is be regarded as a short lease varies by mortgage company, yet banks and building societies start to become nervous at around 75 years. This may cause difficulties as and when you need to dispose of or remortgage your property as it will be practically unmortgageable. You may not have an imminent intention to sell but when you do your buyer must hold off for 2 years before being able to initiate the legal procedures for an extension to the lease.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Birmingham Midshires Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
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.
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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.

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

Irrespective of whether you are a tenant or a freeholder in North Finchley,the lease extension lawyers 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 North Finchley valuers.

North Finchley Lease Extension Case Studies:

Hugo, North Finchley, North London,

Hugo was the the leasehold owner of a high value flat in North Finchley being sold with a lease of a few days over 61 years remaining. Hugo informally approached his landlord being a well known Bristol-based freehold company for a lease extension. The freeholder indicated a willingness to grant an extension taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a rise in the rent to £200 per annum. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be due on a lease extension were Hugo to invoke his statutory right. Hugo obtained expert advice and was able to make an informed judgement and handle with the matter and ending up with a market value flat.

North Finchley case:

In 2009 we were called by Mr and Mrs. Y François who, having moved into a studio apartment in North Finchley in October 2007. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) compensation to the landlord would likely be to extend the lease by an additional years. Similar flats in North Finchley with 100 year plus lease were valued around £300,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £50 billed yearly. The lease came to a finish in 2102. Given that there were 76 years as a residual term we estimated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £8,600 and £9,800 not including fees.

Decision in Barnet

An example of a Lease Extension case for a North Finchley property is Flat 2 2 Netherfield Road in April 2010. The Tribunale held that premium payable for a 90 year extension to the existing Lease should be £7,705. This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 76 years.