Would buying a house with planning app in for extension next door put you off?

mrs-h_3

Hi
We are currently selling our house via a part ex and are due to exchange contracts early next week and yet another hurdle has arisen!!! Yesterday the house next door (not adjoined - we live in 3 bed semi with detached garage and the driveways are next to each other) has applied for planning permission for a double storey extension. Its a slightly odd development as their house is on market and has been for 3 years, but they have mentioned it in the past and are intending to stay now but they aren't going to take house off market???? My question is would this put you off as a prospective buyer. I haven't seen anything in the post as yet but the application is showing online, so i haven't rang my solicitors yet as technically speaking I haven't seen anything in writing and the builders are buying the house but i'm fretting that they may pull out because of this now... My logical side says anybody could buy a house and the day after a planning app can go in but with fickle world of house buying at the minute the other side of me says it will put people off.
Any help/thoughts much appreciated

harrup

Not meaning to sound unsympathetic....but why fret over something beyond your control?

In theory it could put off your buyer....but MOST buyers are savy enough to realise that a neighbour could extend their property at any given time.

Perhaps your neighbours are simply using the planning application as a sort of incentive/marketing tool for prospective buyers and nothing will ever come of it.

DannyboyMidlands

It would entirely depend on the style of the new extension. If it was a little porch thingy then no problem but if it was a 2 storey monster tight up to my boundary, out of all proportion to the existing house and signaling months of disruption, I might think again. I'd have a look at the plans online and decide.

mrs-h_3

harrup wrote: »

Not meaning to sound unsympathetic....but why fret over something beyond your control?

In theory it could put off your buyer....but MOST buyers are savy enough to realise that a neighbour could extend their property at any given time.

Perhaps your neighbours are simply using the planning application as a sort of incentive/marketing tool for prospective buyers and nothing will ever come of it.

I'm fretting because we are close to exchange of contracts with part ex and have invested a lot of time cash and effort into progressing with the new build we are buying. I don't want the builders to pull out of part ex now as i'm sure you can appreciate. I have seen the people next door this morning and they have said they have no intention of moving and are only keeping the house on the market as otherwise they have to pay out £500 to estate agents for a hip pack they never paid for....odd talk for someone who is proposing to spend such cash on an extension!

mrs-h_3

DannyboyMidlands wrote: »

It would entirely depend on the style of the new extension. If it was a little porch thingy then no problem but if it was a 2 storey monster tight up to my boundary, out of all proportion to the existing house and signaling months of disruption, I might think again. I'd have a look at the plans online and decide.

Its a 2 storey extension up to boundary unfortunately however i would object as its will cause a great loss of light to a main room in house so im not sure it would get passed anyway. I'm in a quandary really as we are doing a straight part ex, i'm just stressing out really as everything so far has seemed to go against us, from mortgage etc and now this!:mad:

DannyboyMidlands

In that case it'd definitely put me off but, as others have said, there's nothing you can do other than cross your fingers. Good luck.

Mojisola

As it's the builders buying the house, they might not worry. If next door gets their application through, the builders could do the same for your house and sell on at an increased profit.

harrup

mrs-h wrote: »

I'm fretting because we are close to exchange of contracts with part ex and have invested a lot of time cash and effort into progressing with the new build we are buying. I don't want the builders to pull out of part ex now as i'm sure you can appreciate.

No, you misunderstood - I understand WHY you worry.

My point was that whether you worry or panic or not - you cannot control the situation. There is nothing you can do.

Thus, you could CHOOSE not to worry about it. Easier said than done, I know. But at the end of the day - your buyers are going to do what they want to do. Regardless of whether you have given yourself a coronary in the process or not.

The only useful advice is to drink good wine to relax and keeping the fingers crossed.

CloudCuckooLand

Doubt a developer will care, or research to that degree.

More likely to cause wobbles in a sale to individuals.

jackomdj

harrup wrote: »

No, you misunderstood - I understand WHY you worry.

My point was that whether you worry or panic or not - you cannot control the situation. There is nothing you can do.

Thus, you could CHOOSE not to worry about it. Easier said than done, I know. But at the end of the day - your buyers are going to do what they want to do. Regardless of whether you have given yourself a coronary in the process or not.

The only useful advice is to drink good wine to relax and keeping the fingers crossed.

I wish I had your ability to choose not to worry about things. I know if I have a worry in my mind it won't go away no matter how much I want it to!

GDB2222

The simple answer to your question is that, of course, this planning application reduces the market value of your home. Regardless of anything else, you should fight it. I don't know whether it will put your builders off. They are making a profit on selling you a new home, and they may not be fussed about this.

Or the builders may not be organised enough to recognise the effect of the planning application. Their solicitor will tell them about the planning app, but by then they will already have their surveyors valuation which will value what is actually on the ground. Will they be organised enough to go back to their surveyor and ask for revaluation? That's really the big question, but as Harrup says there's nothing at all you can do about this. Unless you're a religious man, in which case you know what to pray for now.