Stop! Your Lease Extension in Poundbury Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Poundbury 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 Poundbury 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 Poundbury lease extension


Main reasons to start your Poundbury lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Poundbury property value

The only way is down when it comes to Poundbury lease terms. Poundbury properties that have a residual term less than than 80 years will drop in market price even faster, and the cost of extending your lease will increase.

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

Leasehold properties in Poundbury with in excess of 100 years outstanding on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your home. In such situations there is often little to be gained by buying the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and estate charges justify it.

Mortgage lenders may decide not to finance a property with a short lease

Nearly all banks and building societies will not lend on a lease with less than 70 years unexpired - although this varies from lender to lender. A purchaser will no doubt encounter difficulties in obtaining a mortgage and this could result in your Poundbury property becoming difficult to dispose of or refinance.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland 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.
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start of the mortgage.
Skipton Building Society 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage

For Buy to Let cases:
- lettings must not breach any of the lessee’s covenants; and
- consent of the lessor to lettings must be obtained if necessary
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 Poundbury lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Irrespective of whether you are a tenant or a landlord in Poundbury,the lease extension lawyers that we work with will always be willing to discuss any residential leasehold matters and offer you the benefit of their in-depth market knowledge and the close ties they enjoy with Poundbury valuers.

Poundbury Lease Extension Case Studies:

Dexter, Poundbury, Dorset

In 2014 Dexter, started to get near to the 80-year mark with the lease on his leasehold flat in Poundbury. In buying his home 19 years ago, the lease term was of little significance. As luck would have it, he realised he would soon be paying an escalated premium for Extending the lease. Dexter extended the lease just under the wire last March. Dexter and the landlord who owned the flat above eventually settled on the final figure of £6,000 . If he failed to meet the deadline, the amount would have gone up by a minimum £850.

Poundbury case:

Ms Natasha Girard bought a garden flat in Poundbury in March 2012. We are asked if we could estimate the premium would be for a 90 year lease extension. Comparative residencies in Poundbury with an extended lease were valued about £205,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £50 billed every twelve months. The lease ran out on 6 July 2104. Having 78 years outstanding we approximated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 not including costs.

Poundbury case:

Last May we were approach by Ms W Evans , who acquired a newly refurbished apartment in Poundbury in March 1999. We are asked if we could approximate the premium would be to extend the lease by an additional years. Comparable premises in Poundbury with a long lease were in the region of £267,600. The average amount of ground rent was £65 collected every twelve months. The lease expired on 24 October 2093. Given that there were 67 years left we approximated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £14,300 and £16,400 plus expenses.