How to find out how much the land sold for originally?

Kaida

There's a little plot of land adjoining my house and garden, that used to have a house in it but no longer does. For sake of argument, assume I'm number 15, the vacant plot would have been number 17, the next actual house is number 19. I'd like to know how much it sold for so I can work out from there how much to offer now. The current owner is a little old lady who never answers the door, so I'd like to go straight to an offer, or know it's out of my price range so not to bother her in the first place. I've tried the Land Registry website but can't find it on there, either on a map search or searching for number 17 <my street>. Are there any other websites that might tell me? Or someone else I can contact? I don't know when it was sold, or who sold it, the only info I have is the address of the purchaser and the address of the plot.

Thanks in advance for any help.

dragonfly_2

Right move lists the properties and plots of land sold in my area. I suggest you try that. Just put in your postcode and adjust how many years back you wish to search.

www.rightmove.co.uk

Kaida

Thank you. Unfortunately, it's not on there either. Does anyone have any other ideas? It's got to be somewhere, I just can't find it.

bryanb

Surely it's the value now that you should be trying to find?

Kaida

bryanb wrote: »

Surely it's the value now that you should be trying to find?

Well that might be useful, but I'd like to how much she bought it for as that impacts how much I'll pay - it's not worth anything in terms of adding anything to my house value, I checked, and I doubt it is worth anything much in and of itself, particularly, as it's only small and I'm sure there's a reason it's not been built on again. I only want it because I'd like to have a bit more garden space to run the dogs around. How would you suggest I go about finding out how much it is worth now, an estate agent?

Cyril

I think you may just have to offer what it means to you tbh.
You are going in rather ' blind' so to speak.

As it sounds like 'infill' space no matter how small I personally would offer a respectable sum and take it from there. The lady may not want to sell at all and if she does you can negotiate later.

Kaida

Cyril wrote: »

I think you may just have to offer what it means to you tbh.
You are going in rather ' blind' so to speak.

As it sounds like 'infill' space no matter how small I personally would offer a respectable sum and take it from there. The lady may not want to sell at all and if she does you can negotiate later.

Problem is, I am going in completely blind, I have no idea at all how much a little bit of land like that is worth, even a ball park figure. Houses, I can look at similar places in similar areas, look at features that add or reduce value and whether the place has them, know how much my own is worth in comparison etc. A little bit of land only really of potential use to the three of us who back/side onto it, only 10-12ft across and maybe 60ish feet long, is a complete enigma, value-wise. It's going to need a lot of work to cut down the jungle and get rid of the junk on it, as the old lady's husband bought it for an allotment and then died and she's done nothing with it in the intervening years except lay down some carpet to prevent grass growing on some of it, and let fallen fence panels get pinned to the floor with brambles growing through them.

I mean, how can I guess what a "respectable sum" is in this case? I don't want to get her back up (and have the village gossips hating on me forevermore!) by offering too little, but we can't afford to offer over the odds. That's why I was looking for what she paid for it, really.

PasturesNew

I refuse to assist you in your Plan A of scamming a poor old lady out of the full and true current value of it, instead relying on what she paid for it all those years ago.

ILW

What she paid for it is of no relevance at all. What she is prepared to sell it for and what you are prepared to pay are the only things that matter. Ask her if she would wish to sell and how much she would take.

botchjob

if the plot is likely to get planning permission for a new house - which from the sound of it is very likely indeed - then it has a value way beyond what you'd want to pay for an extra bit of garden.

tamarto

botchjob wrote: »

if the plot is likely to get planning permission for a new house - which from the sound of it is very likely indeed - then it has a value way beyond what you'd want to pay for an extra bit of garden.

//////doh!