Barnet Lease Extension - Free Consultation

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Why you should start your Barnet lease extension


Why you should commence your Barnet lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Barnet property value

Barnet residential property owned on a long lease is a depreciating asset as the leaseholder only owns the property for a set term.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with in excess of one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the same as a freehold. Where an further 90 years added to all but the shortest lease, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for many years ahead.

Lending institutions may decide not to issue a mortgage on a short lease

Mortgage companies are making their criteria more stringent and many now require flats to have at least 60 if not 70 years left once the mortgage has expired. Given that plenty of flats in Barnet were created in the fifties, sixties and seventies as a result 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.
Barclays plc Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage should be declined (see exception below).

Leases with greater than 70 years but fewer than 85 years remaining must be referred to issuing office.

Leases with fewer than 70 years should only be referred to the issuing office where the following scenario applies, as discretion may be applied subject to bank approval:

• Property is located in any of the following prestigious developments: Cadogan, Crown, Grosvenor, Howard de Walden, Portman or Wellcome Trust Estates in Central London AND
• The value of the property subject to the short remaining term is £500,000 or more AND
• The loan to value does not exceed 90% for purchases, 90% like for like re-mortgages, 80% for re-mortgages with any element of capital raising and 80% for existing Barclays mortgage borrowers applying for additional borrowing;
Chelsea 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.
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.
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.

Why use us for your lease extension in Barnet?

The conveyancers that we work with procure Barnet lease extensions and help protect your position. A lease extension can be arranged to be completed to coincide with a change of ownership so the costs of the lease extension are paid for using part of the sale proceeds. You really do need expert legal advice in this difficult and technical area of law. The lawyer we work with provide it.

Barnet Lease Extension Case Studies:

Adam, Barnet, North London,

Adam was the the leasehold proprietor of a 2 bedroom flat in Barnet being sold with a lease of just over sixty years left. Adam informally approached his freeholder being a well known Manchester-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The landlord indicated a willingness to grant an extension taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a new rent to start with set at £150 per annum and doubled every twenty five years thereafter. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be payable on a lease extension were Adam to exercise his statutory right. Adam procured expert advice and secured satisfactory deal informally and sell the property.

Barnet case:

Last Spring we were e-mailed by Mr and Mrs. T Williams , who was assigned a lease of a one bedroom apartment in Barnet in September 2004. The dilemma was if we could estimate the premium would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Identical flats in Barnet with a long lease were valued about £290,000. The mid-range ground rent payable was £45 collected yearly. The lease finished on 19 July 2098. Having 73 years unexpired we calculated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 plus professional charges.

Decision in Barnet

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Barnet residence 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 affected 1 flat. The unexpired term was 76 years.