Stop! Your Lease Extension in Southend On Sea Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Southend On Sea 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 Southend On Sea 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 Southend On Sea lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

A Southend On Sea lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

When it comes to residential leasehold property in Southend On Sea, you effectively rent it for a certain amount of time. In recent years flat leases are usually granted for 99 years or 125. Many leasehold owners are unconcerned as this seems like a long period of time, you may think about a lease extension sooner as opposed to later. Accepted thinking is that the shorter the lease is the cost of extending the lease gets disproportionately more expensive particularly once there are fewer than eighty years left. Leasehold owners in Southend On Sea with a lease approaching 81 years left should seriously think of extending it as soon as possible. Once a lease has less than 80 years left, under the current Act the landlord is entitled to calculate and charge a larger amount, assessed on a technical computation, known as “marriage value” which is payable.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with in excess of 100 years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to all but the shortest lease, the premises will be worth the same as a freehold for decades to come.

Lenders may not issue a mortgage with a short lease

Mortgage Lenders are distinct in their lending requirements. Some draw the line at seventy five years left on the lease; others may be willing to lend with anything with more than 70 years. With less than sixty years, it may be challenging to obtain a mortgage at all.

Lender Requirement
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.
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.

For Shared Ownership, the remaining term of the lease must be at least 75 years plus the term of the mortgage at the outset of the mortgage.
Nationwide Building Society - Our minimum unexpired lease term is 55 years, except where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat, in which case our minimum unexpired term is 90 years.
- There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start).

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
- Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years.

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 55 years
- Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat
- 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 is 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 55 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% 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 (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat)
- 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 (does not apply to Shared Ownership)
- 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 charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis

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% 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 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.
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.

What makes us experts in Southend On Sea lease extensions?

Lease extensions in Southend On Sea can be a difficult process. We recommend you procure professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor well versed in the legislation and lease extension process.

We provide you with an expert from a selection of lease extension solicitors, which ensures a targeted and efficient service as you have a dedicated port of call with an individual lawyer. Our lease extension solicitors have in-depth market knowledge procuring Southend On Sea lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Southend On Sea Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Rory, Southend On Sea, Essex

Two years ago Rory, came seriously close to the 80-year threshold with the lease on his two bedroom apartment in Southend On Sea. Having bought his property two decades ago, the lease term was of little relevance. Luckily, he noticed he needed to take action soon on a lease extension. Rory arranged for a lease extension at the eleventh hour last March. Rory and the landlord who owned the flat above subsequently settled on sum of £6,000 . If the lease had descended below eighty years, the figure would have gone up by at least £1,150.

Southend On Sea case:

Last month we were called by Mr Teddy Moore , who was assigned a lease of a one bedroom flat in Southend On Sea in May 2010. The dilemma was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) price would likely be to extend the lease by ninety years. Identical residencies in Southend On Sea with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £235,600. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 billed quarterly. The lease came to a finish on 25 March 2088. Considering the 62 years remaining we estimated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £21,900 and £25,200 exclusive of fees.

Southend On Sea case:

In 2009 we were phoned by Ms Lucy Evans who, having took over the lease of a studio apartment in Southend On Sea in June 2003. The question was if we could estimate the price would likely be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparative properties in Southend On Sea with an extended lease were worth £174,200. The average ground rent payable was £55 collected yearly. The lease elapsed on 9 November 2077. Taking into account 51 years outstanding we calculated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £31,400 and £36,200 exclusive of fees.