Planning Permission next door when we are selling.

lindos90

Just a quick query, We have our house on the market (its a semi), and several years ago next door got planning permission to build an extension to their side (with the foundations on our side..cheeky!),

They have as yet not gone ahead (for whatever reason), but I understand they can any time within 5 years, or alternatively re apply after that time.

Should this planning permission come up on our HIPs as it is next door to us, or do the searches only mention our house, rather than surrounding properties.

I feel we should be honest and inform any potential buyers, but at the same time I know I would be put off buying a house that was potentially going to have an extension built any time next door!

Ive suggested we ask next door what their current intentions are, and inform buyers accordingly, but OH does not see a need for this, and just thinks if next door was going to build, he would have already done so.

tek-monkey

Foundations on your side? I presume this is right on the boundry? Is it 1 or 2 storey?

lemonslap

lindos90 wrote: »

Just a quick query, We have our house on the market (its a semi), and several years ago next door got planning permission to build an extension to their side (with the foundations on our side..cheeky!),

They have as yet not gone ahead (for whatever reason), but I understand they can any time within 5 years, or alternatively re apply after that time.

Should this planning permission come up on our HIPs as it is next door to us, or do the searches only mention our house, rather than surrounding properties.

I feel we should be honest and inform any potential buyers, but at the same time I know I would be put off buying a house that was potentially going to have an extension built any time next door!

Ive suggested we ask next door what their current intentions are, and inform buyers accordingly, but OH does not see a need for this, and just thinks if next door was going to build, he would have already done so.

I would tell the truth about the planing permission, remember it will be revealed when the searches come back from the buyers solicitor this will then cause problems if it wasn't disclosed earlier.

slummymummyof3

Presumably you mean the foundations will be projecting under your land? The neighbour would still need the Party Wall etc Act in order to do the works (legally) The PP may have expired as it used to be 5 years but more recently has become 3 years in which to build following PP having been gained. PP would show up on searches. I wouldn't necessarily tell a first time viewer of your property.

Richard_Webster

PP would show up on searches

Not necessarily. Local authority searches only show planning permissions affecting the proeprty being searched. Sometimes for administrative convenience a Council will show everything in the same road, but it doesn't have to.

lindos90

tek-monkey wrote: »

Foundations on your side? I presume this is right on the boundry? Is it 1 or 2 storey?

It looks like two storey,coming out at the back, but the bit nearest to us on the boundary is sort of inbetween, as it angles down in line with the current roof and then has a dorma window.

The planning department said they were only bothered about the safety of construction, not where the foundations were. I did ask for the neighbour to do a party wall agreement at the time, but as it all went quiet and he seemed to have gone off the idea, no more has been said about that.

I found out at the time that I could request 'ecentric foundations' so that they would not encroach onto/under our boundary, as I was concerned at the time that if we ever wanted to extend, that our foundations would have to be built way over our side, at the side of theirs, and therefore any extension done on our property would not be as wide.

So planning permissions for local properties come up in searches done by the buyers solicitor? I thought all the searches were in the Hips?

Now im worried that this will really put people off, or drive the price down, we have someone wanting a second viewing, they are very interested in buying, but would want to extend themselves (and said their offer will reflect the cost of the extension!)

I think we need to have a chat with the neighbour to see what his present intentions are about the extension plans.

kibs88

You can find out about any planning permission yourself by looking on the council website.

There is no point in hiding it from any prospective buyers as if they find out further down the line and are not happy about it you could have both lost time and money, and in any event the buyers may feel that they have been misled and try to recoup any monies from yourselevs.

As prospective buyers usually dont look at the HIP until they are or have made an offer on a property I would add it in your HIP just to be on the safe side, and even mention that the permission has been given x years ago and nothing has been done. If you want I would speak to your neighbour and just query if he is planning on acting on the planning permission anytime in the near future as this may put your buyers mind at ease.

Good Luck

lindos90

Well, prompted by this thread and my elbow in OH's ribs, he bit the bullet and asked our neighbour, they both adamently and unanimously said thay had no plans to extend, as since they applied for permission they have had children and she now works part time, so they dont have the money to even consider it. (Though I would have thought with two kids they would be more likey to need the space!) and as they felt it would not add any value to the property either, they are not going ahead.

I now feel we can honestly and genuinly reassure any prospective buyer.

Thank you all for pushing us into action!