It would also be interesting to know whether one might possibly have a right of first refusal on the property. Acquaintances are also building on a leasehold property. But they have an option to buy it after 19 years.
Yes, that would certainly be a central question during the viewing, provided the current owners can answer it / it is stated in the contract.
Whether one can buy from the church - by now I have read both opinions. For some, the statement is the same as Dirk Grafe's. Others, however, report having purchased plots from the church. It probably depends on the individual circumstances.
We had also once looked at a property with a leasehold, and what prevented us from going ahead was not necessarily the term of (normally) 99 years, but that (as we were told) the leasehold can be regularly adjusted to the current land value. But no idea if such adjustments can also be contractually capped at a maximum increase? In the end, it was just too unpredictable for us.
Have the lease agreement shown to you. Have it checked if necessary.
If the lease agreement expires, it can be extended - but that should not be a topic yet for a house from 1996.
When I always read here that houses that are not even 50 years old are being demolished for a new building, I wonder why people are so anxious about 80- or 99-year lease agreements.
We have now built ourselves on a leasehold property. Almost the entire village consists of leasehold properties ;)
Yes, the property will never belong to us - but in 80 years I won't be here anymore either. We don't need to finance the property, and the monthly payment for the property is less than what we would pay for interest and principal.